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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919180">The Sue’s Curse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annbell/pseuds/annbe11'>annbe11 (Annbell)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2010s, Alternate Universe, Book 3: The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson), But also enjoying them, Cringe for fun, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Fan Insert, Fanboys - Freeform, Footnotes, Isekai, Language!, Lots of Footnotes, Making fun of Mary Sues, Mary Sue, Mentor Percy, Metafiction, Multi, Originally from the early 2010s, Parody, Post-Sea of Monsters, Rated M for Peter’s language, Romantic Friendship, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Standalone, Sueish, Thank you Andrea, The Power of Sue, The power of friendship, adopted story, too many adverbs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:54:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annbell/pseuds/annbe11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When PJO fanboy and fanfic sporker, Peter Johnson, finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, he’s thrilled until he realizes that he’s stuck in a bad fanfic with a Mary Sue called Andromeda Sunshine. When Andi Sunshine finds a boy who swears in her face and claims he wants nothing to do with her, she recognizes it as a cry for help and commits herself to becoming Peter’s bestest “friend”. Will Peter be able to resist Andi’s sueish wiles, complete the Titan’s Curse quest, and get home? Or will Andi breeze through all her problems, drive Peter insane, and make him her newest “friend”?</p><p>All bets are off in this strange meta fic from the past.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Andi &amp; Peter Johnson, Andi/Peter Johnson, Luke Castellan/Andi, Luke Castellan/Annabeth Chase, Nico di Angelo &amp; Andi, Percy Jackson &amp; Peter Johnson, Peter Johnson/Annabeth Chase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue 1: Excepts from PercyW/@Te’s Sporking of Andromeda Sunshine and the Lighting Thief[1]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/722464">Omitted by Author Request</a> by Alpha R(Not Real Username), Beta R(Not Real Username).
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: Hello PJO fandom!<br/>Nice to meet you. Before we get started, I want to tell you all the backstory for this particular fic because it’s a little crazy. This is an adopted fic. Specifically, it’s a fanfic of a fanfic of two fanfics.<br/>Yeah. I know.<br/>Once upon a time, a young fanfic author wrote two self-insert wish-fulfillment Mary Sue stories that covered PJO 1 and 2 (Fanfic 1&amp;2). Neither were very good. (Though I thought Fanfic 2 had potential.)<br/>Then the author (Alpha R) and her friend (Beta R) took those old fics and wrote a very meta sequel (Fanfic 3). This was the story I read years and years ago and it was a real gem. It was so good that I downloaded the whole series and eventually saved it on my Kindle.<br/>In 2017, when I officially joined fanfiction.net and started writing my own stories, I looked for Fanfic 3 again to leave a signed review, but apparently the authors had deleted the story and both of their accounts a while ago.<br/>D:<br/>But here’s the kicker, in 2018 (before COVID-19 when you could meet people…), I met one of the authors (Specifically, Alpha R) in real life! And she gave me permission to edit and re-post this. So here we are at the Sue’s Curse (Fanfic 4) and full fanfic-ception.<br/>Still hanging on? Good.<br/>I promise I’m gonna try to make this as clean as possible. There will be plenty of <strong>footnotes (look for the [#])</strong> to catch you up on any details from Fanfic 1&amp;2.[0] If you tolerated this author’s note you should be good for the rest of the story.<br/>Now that that is done. I only have two more things to say:<br/>First, I want to thank Andrea (Alpha R) for giving me this opportunity, I hope I have the wits to use it.<br/>Second, read and review!<br/>- Sincerely Annbe11 (Gamma R)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57892771" name="_Toc57892771"></a> <strong>Prologue 1: Excepts from PercyW/@Te’s Sporking of Andromeda Sunshine and the Lighting Thief[1]</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Chapter 1: I’m a Sad Orphan</em>
</p>
<p>Me: So, my internet friends said this story was bad, but how bad could it really be?</p>
<p>Andromeda Sunshine:</p>
<p>Me: That name…gag.</p>
<p>Andromeda Sunshine: I’m an orphan. I was abused and my life was sad. Instead of showing you, I’m going to look at a random mirror and talk about it with barely functional grammar and questionable spelling. I will also make sure you know that despite my sad sad backstory I’m hot. I mean a good person. I mean hot.</p>
<p>Me: Anything else?</p>
<p>Sueshine (No, that’s not a typo. Her name is Sueshine now. I can take that more seriously): Did I mention that I was hot?</p>
<p>Me: Yes.</p>
<p>Sueshine: Well I’m still going to stand here and talk about how gorgeous, likeable, and sympathetic I am for the next 2047 words, so enjoy!</p>
<p>Me: I have many regrets.</p>
<p>
  <em>Chapter 2: I Meet Grover</em>
</p>
<p>Grover: Hi Sueshine. Let’s be friends and by friends, I mean that I want to fuck you because you’re so hot. Drool…</p>
<p>Me: Et tu, Grover?</p>
<p>Sueshine: Yes! Let’s be the bestest of friends! (but not really. I’m going to secretly bash you in my barely coherent thoughts to fulfil the author’s agenda.)</p>
<p>Me: Why?</p>
<p>Author: Grover &lt; Tyson</p>
<p>Me: Debatable, but fair.</p>
<p>Author: Grover &lt; Ron <em>Fucking</em> Weasley</p>
<p>Me: GET OUT!</p>
<p>
  <em>Chapter 3: Gods, I’m dying</em>
</p>
<p>Me: Oh good. We are finally starting the plot. With a title like that, I’m sure this means that Sueshine will finally be challenged and…</p>
<p>Author: Challenge? What is this word you speak of?</p>
<p>Me: Challenge. It means that Sueshine is going to be faced with a difficult conflict.</p>
<p>Author: Oh that. I think I did that in the backstory. Do you want me to go over it again like I did in Chapter 2?</p>
<p>Me: NO! No thank you. Could you please just explain the title?</p>
<p>Author: Oh! Isn’t it clever? :D Grover is like so annoying teehee</p>
<p>Me: Gods, I think I’m dying.</p>
<p>Author: I know right? Grover is the worst.</p>
<p>Me: Only two more chapters...</p>
<p>
  <em>Chapter 4: I Think I’m in Love</em>
</p>
<p>Sueshine: Luke is like almost as hot as I am.</p>
<p>Me: That’s…</p>
<p>Sueshine: We’d look so amazing together.</p>
<p>Me: Really?</p>
<p>Sueshine: Did I mention he was hot? Like I just met him, but I’d totally fuck him despite my tragic, mysterious, and oh so sad backstory.</p>
<p>Me: …</p>
<p>Sueshine: SO HOT!</p>
<p>
  <em>Chapter 5: I’m really special</em>
</p>
<p>I promised myself that I’d stick to sporking, but I just can’t. You need to hear this excerpt verbatim:</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>“Oh! I already know who my daddy is,” I say, shyly.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“Who?” Luke and Grover said, eagerly.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“Yeah,” Annabeth said as she lokes at her fingers.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“Zeus,” I said with blush.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“Wow!” they all say, impressed. “That’s cool. You’re really special”</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“I am?” I asked, wonderingly.</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>“Yeah,” Annabeth said. “I’m willing to be your friend now.”</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>I smiled happily. “Peachy!” I say happily.</em>
  </p>
  <p><em>Everyone, cheer! It was great being special.</em>[2]</p>
</blockquote><p>Yeah…Need I say more?</p>
<p>Look, I knew from what my friends told me that this fic was going to be bad, but this was absolute shit. When it isn’t stealing sentences verbatim from the source material, it’s…well you read the excerpt.</p>
<p>Honestly, the author should be ashamed. There is nothing "special" about Sueshine. She’s a generic, overpowered fantasy who breezes through her “problems” if you want to call them that. The only thing saving my sanity and sense of decency is the fact I only promised to read 5 chapters. I am so ready to forget that this atrocity ever existed. I said as much in my fanfiction.net review which will hopefully let people know that they can skip out on this insult to the canon.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[0] Yay! You’re actually reading the footnotes. This was just a test, but thank you for playing. I promise the next footnote will be more informative.</p>
<p>[1] This is supposedly an excerpt from Peter’s blog. However, it’s actually just the authors poking fun at the first fic…I think. But this might also be real? And would make this fic a revenge fic. I’m not sure. I vaguely remember there being a review like the chapter 5 entry on the original Andromeda fic. However, I think that person might have had a different username. Also, I could not find a sporking blog like this anywhere, so your guess is as good as mine.</p>
<p>[2] I promise the writing in this fic is never this bad. It has improved a lot since Lightning Thief and of course I’m here to edit. However, you can see why I’m not reposting the first two stories. The effort that it would take to edit is just no. :/</p>
<p>Anyway, I read Fanfic 3 first and I only read the other two afterwards out of curiosity. So, I can say from personal experience that you don’t need to read the other fics to enjoy this one. :)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prologue 2: The Fleece’s Magic Works Too Well[1]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Prologue 2: The Fleece’s Magic Works Too Well[1]</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p>
<p>Gosh golly gee, I was lonely.[2] Grover and I were sitting outside by a small pool of water.[3] He was swearing his loyalty to me, but I was barely paying attention as I looked into my reflection.</p>
<p>I had long shiny honey colored hair with a slight curl at the bottom. My long lashes and perfect eyebrows were a slightly darker color. They framed my azure colored eyes which were sky blue. I also had full red lips, a cute freckled nose and a curvy body with big breasts that looked great in my orange camp shirt and cutoff jeans.</p>
<p>I smiled sadly at myself.</p>
<p>I knew Grover meant well with his praise and I was glad that I had been able to save him, the camp and the golden fleece, but I hadn’t been able to save Luke.[4] And that was what mattered. Grover just didn’t understand how hard it was to be me.</p>
<p>Instead he said, praisingly, “Ever since we started our empathy link, I feel so different. Like I’m part of a bigger whole. This is what I was searching for. I was a fool to obsess over Pan when I had already met you. You’re perfection Andi.”[5]</p>
<p>“That’s real swell, Grover,” I said, distractedly.</p>
<p>Grover was still complimenting me an hour later when I left to go to talk to Chiron. Chiron told me that he was ready to begin my advanced mist manipulation lessons but even that didn’t cheer me up.</p>
<p>I went back to my cabin to stare up at the huge statue of Zeus, Lord of the Skies and King of the Gods that was inside of it.</p>
<p>“Oh Daddy, what should I do?”</p>
<p>The statue immediately shone with a bright gold light and became Daddy, Zeus, Lord of the Skies and King of the Gods.[6] Daddy hugged me and asked, concernedly, “What’s wrong honey?”[7]</p>
<p>As if he didn’t know. Gods could be so absentminded. “Luke is gone,” I said, remindingly.[8]</p>
<p>“Oh…him,” Zeus pulled away and looked deeply into my azure orbs. “I never liked that boy.”</p>
<p>“You don’t like any boys,” I said, pointedly.</p>
<p>“They’re all horny monsters, I should know,” Zeus said fiercely. “Anyway, you’re too young to be dating. You should enjoy camp. Make some female friends.”</p>
<p>I sighed. Most girls didn’t like me. I had no idea why. The one time I had thought that I had made a female friend, Annabeth, it hadn’t turned out well at all.[9]</p>
<p>Daddy tried again. “Or maybe, you should spend some more time with me. Plenty to do in Olympus.”</p>
<p>I shook my head. I couldn’t leave camp, especially with Luke still missing. It wouldn’t be right. “Maybe later, Daddy, after the prophecy,” I said, sadly.</p>
<p>Zeus frowned sadly. “Well alright, if you say so. But you’ll let me know if you change your mind.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” I said, bravely.</p>
<p>Daddy smiled happily. “That’s my girl. Now I know you think you miss Luke, but honestly, honey, there are plenty more interesting people to hang out with. The guy was kind of a downer.”</p>
<p>I nodded and pretended to listen as Daddy complained about Luke’s “flaws” and why he thought I shouldn’t involve myself with that “tainted” mortal. Daddy claimed he had grander plans for me and what not. And that someday when he was ready, I might get a boyfriend.</p>
<p>Meanwhile I remembered how great Luke was. His golden skin, blonde hair, and that winning smile, it was almost too much for a girl to take. Though he hadn’t smiled much after Annabeth left. I had dragged him on that quest to retrieve Grover partially to help him get over her. And now he was just gone and it was all my fault. Nico promised that he wasn’t dead, but I wanted more.[10] I wanted Luke safe and sound and with me.</p>
<p>“Andi,” Daddy said, sharply and I looked up sharply.</p>
<p>He was frowning, disapprovingly.</p>
<p>“Sorry Daddy,” I said, contritely.</p>
<p>“I can see that the boy’s disappearance still bothers you,” he said, gently, “He’s really not worth it, but if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll ask Hermes to do another search.”</p>
<p>I nodded and dutifully thanked him. They had search before. But maybe this time they’d find something? It worried me that not even the gods could find Luke.</p>
<p>Daddy distracted me from my thoughts by leaning in and giving me another hug. “Anything for my favorite daughter,” he whispered into my ear, “Stay strong.”</p>
<p>Then he released me and I was staring at a stone statue again.</p>
<p>I sighed. Not even the king of the gods could bring back my best friend. Gods, I missed Luke.</p>
<p>The rest of the day, I felt the same loneliness until it was finally time for bed, but even though I was dead tired, I didn’t sleep well. I had the dream again.[11] The one where all around me angry voices shouted and shrieked like harpies.</p>
<p>
  <em>How could you get rid of Luke!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nico is not hot until after he goes to the underworld. Also, he’s gay?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Why wasn’t Annabeth in this one?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I am so disappointed the last one held so much promise.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Andi’s a total Mary Sue…Mary Sue... Mary</em><em>…</em>[12]</p>
<p>Later that night, I awoke to the sound of someone banging on my door. “Coming,” I said, sleepily as I got out of bed.</p>
<p>The person didn’t wait. The door flew open and Grover was standing there.</p>
<p>“Yes?” I asked, trying to stay civil even though it was like 5 in the morning.</p>
<p>“Andi!” he stammered. “Nico…on the hill…he…”</p>
<p>The look in his eyes told me something was very wrong. Nico had been on guard duty last night to protect the Fleece. If something had happened… no, not again, I couldn’t bear it.</p>
<p>“Come on,” I said, urgently as I ran past him and out the door. Grover followed me as we headed to the front of the camp. I listened as he wheezed out, “he’s lying there…just lying there…”</p>
<p>Grover wasn’t making any sense.</p>
<p>“Is Nico alright?” I asked, intensely.</p>
<p>“Nico? No…he’s…”</p>
<p>Before Grover could finish Chiron galloped up from behind us. The centaur scooped me up. Suddenly, I was riding him and we were racing towards the camp entrance, leaving Grover behind with all the other campers who were just getting up. Everyone it seemed knew something was going on.</p>
<p>“Chiron, what-”</p>
<p>But Chiron was muttering to himself. “Curse the titans,” Chiron muttered under his breath. “They have tricked us again, given themselves another chance to control the prophecy.”</p>
<p>I tried again. “Chiron. What is going on?” I asked.</p>
<p>“The Fleece,” he said, worriedly. “The Fleece did its work too well.” He gestured ahead of us. We were just past Half-Blood Hill. A small crowd had started to gather by Ocean’s River. I expected to see the Fleece gone, but it was still there, floating on the clear blue surface of the saltwater river and glittering in the morning light like the river’s own personal sun.[13]</p>
<p>Chiron pushed our way to the front, shouting for people to make way. There at the riverbank was a boy. He was soaking wet and lying unconscious. Another boy in Greek armor was kneeling next to him.</p>
<p>I felt hope surge up in me like a balloon. Was the boy lying there Luke? Maybe Daddy had finally found him and pulled some strings. I squinted but between the fleece and the morning light, it was super bright out. I had to get a closer look.</p>
<p>I leapt off of the centaur. I ran toward the unconscious boy. Chiron said: “Andi, wait!”</p>
<p>I didn’t listen. The boy in Greek armor moved aside and from his glower I knew it was Nico. The balloon of hope expanded as I looked down at the unconscious boy.</p>
<p>And then the balloon popped. I sank to the ground. It wasn’t Luke.</p>
<p>I sniffled and tried not to cry. For a moment there I had been so jazzed and hopeful, but I couldn’t break down again. This strange boy needed me. I put my hand on his forehead. His skin was clammy and his fingertips were tinged blue with cold.</p>
<p>“He needs nectar and ambrosia,” I said trying to keep my voice steady. The crowd just stared at me and I frowned at them. I was keeping it together, why couldn’t they?</p>
<p>“Now!” I said forcefully with all the power I could muster.</p>
<p>Instantly, several boys rushed to obey. That was better.</p>
<p>I lifted the boy’s head into my lap and stared at him. He had messy black hair, olive skin, and classical features. Not anyone I’d call traditionally handsome and he was a bit short, but still.[14] He had lovely lips, so full. They trembled with cold like the rest of him and I wondered whether I should give him mouth to mouth. It wouldn’t be so bad with those lips. I bent over to get closer to them when suddenly the boy launched up and coughed.</p>
<p>He nearly took my head off as I lurched to avoid him. Then he fell back on my lap with so much force that it hurt.</p>
<p>I winced. Never mind about the lips, I decided. I glared at the boy, and found that his eyes were open. His irises were a soft sea green.</p>
<p>He stared up at me in bewilderment “Who—” but then he was coughing again and I helped him sit up. As he tried to get the water out of his system, I said “My name’s Andi. You’re safe now.”</p>
<p>“Bathtub…” he wheezed in response.</p>
<p>I patted his back. He must be delirious. “It’s alright,” I said, comfortingly.</p>
<p>“I was drowning.”</p>
<p>“You’re okay now,” I said, assuredly. “Can you tell me what your name is?”</p>
<p>The boy stared at me with those green eyes and then it all clicked. I understood what the Golden Fleece quest had really been about. It was all done it to ensure this moment—<em>another chance to control the prophecy.</em></p>
<p>The boy opened his mouth and we both ended up talking at the same time.</p>
<p>“I’m Peter Johnson,” he said as I said, “The Son of Poseidon.”[15]</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p><br/>[1] This chapter title should be familiar. It’s the title of the epilogue chapter of PJO Sea of Monsters.</p>
<p>[2] We start as we mean to go on. Say hello to our Mary Sue everyone.</p>
<p>[3] I’m not sure where in camp they are supposed to be right now. There are no small ponds that I can think of in the canon, but I guess the authors wanted to do that iconic “Look at my reflection and describe myself scene” again. I assume they’re doing this ironically this time…but…this has happened at the start of every single story in this series, so it could also just be here for consistency.</p>
<p>[4] For ease of understanding, just switch Luke and Annabeth’s canon roles in your mind. Annabeth was the betrayer in Lightning Thief and is the older of the two. Luke was Andi’s companion and love interest during Lightning Thief. He was lost during the Scylla encounter in Sea of Monsters.</p>
<p>[5] I realize that “praisingly” isn’t a real word but I kept it in because this is just how Andi thinks.</p>
<p>[6] I’ve always imagined this was done Disney Hercules style.</p>
<p>[7]Yeah. Andi and Zeus have an unusually close relationship. It’s been like this ever since she was claimed.</p>
<p>[8] Yes, I also realize that “remindedly” isn’t a real word but again I kept it in because this is just how Andi thinks.</p>
<p>[9] See footnote 4.</p>
<p>[10] Yes. Nico is already at camp. Andi saved him and Bianca from the Lotus Hotel in Lightning Thief.</p>
<p>[11] This is the first time Andi has mentioned having dreams like this in the entire series. So, I assume she started having these dreams between the end of Sea of Monsters and this epilogue/prologue chapter.</p>
<p>[12] This seems important, but it doesn’t really amount to much in this story. All the same, I didn’t have the heart to scrap this dream sequence. I think it foreshadows how the authors intended to end this series. More on that later.</p>
<p>[13] Instead of Thalia’s tree, this version of camp has Ocean’s River. It’s a salt water river that encircles the camp like a moat.</p>
<p>[14] I’m going to contradict Andi. The girl's standards are too high. He sounds plenty cute if you ask me, but I think Andi is saying this because Peter is a “normal” kid instead of a perfect book character.</p>
<p>[15] Next chapter we will be with Peter. Each chapter we switch perspectives. Also, I know there was a lot of footnotes this chapter. It won’t always be like this. I promise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 1: I Think I’m In Heaven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 1: I Think I’m In Heaven</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>It was a typical Saturday night for me. I sat in the darkness of my room staring at my computer and trying to ignore how hot it was. I had just finished posting my last chapter review of an abysmal self-insert crossover with Naruto, Harry Potter and of course Percy Jackson to my sporking blog.</p>
<p>Thank god.</p>
<p>Fics like “Gregoria Smyth and The Magical Hogwarts Café” were nothing I would choose to read in my free time. I mean the fic didn’t even have a proper summary it just said:</p>
<p> </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><em>It’s too hard to explain, but I promise it’s good. Just read and review! OCXSasukeXNico, PercyXSakura, HarryXAnnabeth</em>[1]</p>
</blockquote><p>Hard to explain is right. I read it and I’m still not sure what the hell it was about. And Good? Good! Fuck. I question anyone who would define this shitty story as readable, let alone good.</p>
<p>But this was the type of “content” that I had to read for my blog sometimes. As long as it didn’t include HoO and was less than 40 chapters, I was bound to do what came my way on “Suggest a Spork Saturdays”. Even if those requests sometimes led me to some dark places. (I’m talking un-ironic tentacles, incest, domestic abuse, and that’s just the Japanese shit.)</p>
<p>Thankfully with my review done, I was able to read something good now if I could find it. I skimmed the selection. There were no new chapters from the authors I followed. And the PJO page was just filled with the usual (Luke death fics, son of Artemis stuff, Percy romances the goddess of the week, amateur one-shots, and a bunch of high school, college, and café AUs), but nothing caught my eye as terribly good or bad.</p>
<p>After a while, I said fuck it. It was late, like 3 am. So, I decided to call it a night.</p>
<p>Or at least I tried to. An hour later I was still awake thinking about that horrible crossover. Normally writing a review was enough to get a bad fic out if my system, but it had been the 5th mediocre fic I had read this week. And the last four hadn’t been on purpose. Frankly, I was getting tired of it.</p>
<p>The fic had just been so bad. Even without watching Naruto, I felt like I knew more about the show than the author did. Same went for Harry Potter. I wasn’t a fan of Harry Potter. I mean I <em>really</em> wasn’t a fan, but I had read the first book and I knew Harry didn’t say things like: totally dude. He was British, for fuck’s sake.</p>
<p>And then there was the way the author had portrayed Annabeth and Percy. I squeezed my eyes shut. Why could no one get Percy’s voice correct? Not even Rick could seem to get it right these days.[2]</p>
<p>That was the thought that got me out of bed and into the bathtub. I loved baths and water in general and that night I needed a good soak.</p>
<p>I knew I was overreacting. I was sure my blog would get lots of hits for this latest review. It had been doing well in general. This summer it was finally starting to get some real attention in the fandom. I should be happy that people were taking my opinion seriously and that I was able to direct my fans away from garbage and towards the quality fics. It felt good but it wasn’t enough.</p>
<p>I just felt like something was missing. This was nothing new. Ever since I finished the Last Olympian, I’d had this empty feeling inside. Nothing, not fanfics or any other book I tried to read measured up to PJO. I seriously doubted anything ever would.</p>
<p>I sighed and sunk deeper into the water so that it was even with my bottom lip. I wished for like the thousandth time that I could reread the series for the first time.</p>
<p>And that’s when things got weird. I guess I must have closed my eyes because the next thing I knew I was freezing and choking on salt water. I jerked up and hacked up the stuff with a mighty cough and then I landed back down on something soft that smelled like honeysuckle.</p>
<p>My eyes flew open and I found myself staring up at an angel. Blonde hair and the best rack I’d ever seen in real life this close up, it was a struggle to focus on her blue eyes which shone with concern. I tried to explain myself. Not that I had a good explanation. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if I had just drowned in my bathtub and gone to heaven.</p>
<p>The girl eased me into a sitting position. I told her my name and then she had said the magic words, “Son of Poseidon”</p>
<p>Suddenly, I was perfectly lucid. “What did you just say?”</p>
<p>The girl (what had she said her name was, Annie?) blushed and repeated, “You’re the son of Poseidon, right? The guy who almost died defeating a minotaur and was immortalized in this moat made by Poseidon himself.”</p>
<p>I just stared at her. As pretty as she was, she was making no goddamn sense.</p>
<p>“Is there something wrong with his memory,” the girl asked turning to look up at someone. I followed her gaze and found myself looking at a centaur. I blinked and blinked again, but the man horse was still there.</p>
<p>“He does look disorientated. Grover, Nico, help Peter up we have much to discuss,” the centaur said staring at me intently.</p>
<p>I just gaped at him. He was half-horse, what else was I supposed to do? Then a satyr and a gaunt looking boy helped me up. I stared at each of them. Hadn’t the horse called them, Grover and Nico?</p>
<p>Oh shit!</p>
<p>I almost fell back down. This couldn’t be happening. Me, Peter Johnson, was being led to Camp Half-Blood. I think I was crying.</p>
<p>Nico snorted.[3]</p>
<p>Grover just patted my arm. “There now Peter, it’ll be okay. Wait till we get some nectar in you.”</p>
<p>I nodded, unable to speak. Grover, <em>the</em> Grover, had just spoken to me. As we entered the Big House, I realized that I was right. I was in heaven.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] I looked it up. For better or worse “Gregoria Smyth and the Magical Hogwarts Café” doesn’t exist. The closest match was on AO3 and is called “Christmas Calendar: JIKOOK” which to me seems totally unrelated.</p>
<p>[2] Considering when this fic takes place (early 2010s) and what I know about Peter, I assume he’s talking about Son of Neptune.</p>
<p>[3] We will talk more about Nico next chapter.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 2: The New Kid Is A Total Weirdo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a id="_Toc56902315" name="_Toc56902315"></a>
  <strong>Chapter 2: The New Kid Is A Total Weirdo</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p><p>I had followed Grover and Nico to the Big House as they half-carried the strange boy. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just give Peter some nectar by the river. Grover had gotten some but Chiron had said to go to the Big House, so here we were.</p><p>The boy was drinking his nectar and looking around the place like he was in a candy store. Now that he was feeling better, he was super smiley. He shot me a smile and my stomach flipped. He had a nice smile.</p><p>Chiron arrived after us. He was back in his wheelchair. The boy immediately walked over to meet him without giving me a second glance. I frowned and went over to them, Grover and Nico behind me.</p><p>“Peter,” Chiron began sagely, “I know you must have many questions but first I have some questions for you.”</p><p>Peter nodded enthusiastically.</p><p>“Kiss up,” Nico muttered, darkly.[1]</p><p>I shot him a look. Nico actually ignored me. He was too busy looking at Peter like he was dirt. And there was nothing dirty about Peter. He was kind of cute and that smile...</p><p>I was pulled out of my thoughts about Peter’s looks when he began to answer Chiron’s questions, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anything. As far as I know, I was teleported from my bathtub to that river. How long has that river been here anyway?”</p><p>Chiron nodded sagely, “I see. Well, Peter, I can only hope your memory comes back with time. In the meantime, why don’t you have Andi here show you around.”</p><p>Chiron gestured over to me and I smiled.</p><p>Peter glanced at me, but then he focused on Grover of all people. “I was actually wondering if Grover could show me around.” He looked back at me. “No offense, Annie. I just—”</p><p>“My name is Andi,” I corrected him, coldly.</p><p>“Oh? Sorry. I was only half-awake when you said it that first time. I’m Peter.”</p><p>“I know,” I said, shortly. Had he really forgotten my name? And he chose Grover over me. I take back the cute comment. The new kid was a total weirdo.</p><p>“Maybe he’s gay. Either that or he’s blind,” Nico hissed, maliciously.[2]</p><p>I turned to him, shocked. That was taking it a bit far. “Nico!” I hissed. “Shame on you.”</p><p>Nico blushed, “Sorry. I just—” Nico stared at the ground ashamed. Just because Peter was weird didn’t mean he was gay or blind.[3] I mean he couldn’t be blind. He was still looking at everything like a kid in a candy store.</p><p>“You should know better,” I lectured Nico.</p><p>Nico continued to stare at the ground like he was angry at it.</p><p>I frowned confusedly.</p><p>Nico had been moody since Bianca had interrupted our quest earlier this summer to tell me that she was joining Artemis’s hunters which meant she had forsaken all men which included her twin brother.[4] Back when it happened, Nico had cried about it and stuff. Now he had this bad boy edge that was far too alluring at times. Sometimes, though, I missed the old sweet Nico. The old Nico would never say stuff in that malicious tone.</p><p>Before I could say more, Grover asked, “Andi, you wanna come with us?” He was standing by the doorway. Peter had already gone outside.</p><p>I glanced at Nico. Maybe I should stay with him, but then Nico whispered, “You should go.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” I asked, questioningly.</p><p>Nico nodded. I couldn’t see his eyes but I thought he might be crying. He probably wanted some alone time.</p><p>“I’ll catch up with you later,” I promised, heartfeltly.</p><p>Nico nodded again and I left him to follow Grover and the new kid. I figured at least they would be in a good mood, but when I got outside, Peter’s smile was gone and he was frowning, confusedly.</p><p>Seeing him like that made me think that he might be older than I thought he was. Peter was short, like barely taller than me and I was petite, so I had assumed he was close to Nico’s age.[5] But seeing him look all serious now, I realized he must be around my age or older. I wondered what that would mean for the great prophecy.</p><p>“Run that by me again, Grover,” Peter said, insistently.</p><p>Grover looked confused. “I said that Annabeth is missing. She left last summer.”</p><p>“And Luke?”</p><p>Grover said sadly, “He’s gone too. He went looking for me and…”</p><p>“But, that’s not right,” Peter said, argumentatively.</p><p>“What’s not right?” I asked, adding myself into the conversation.</p><p>Peter looked up at me and bestowed a relieved smile on me. “Grover here says that Luke and Annabeth are gone, but he got the order wrong. Luke should have left first, not Annabeth. In fact…” Peter stopped to think. “If anything, Annabeth should be here. I mean that moat is definitely new. Did she design it?”</p><p>Grover looked uncomfortable. He appealed to me.</p><p>Peter was deep in thought and biting his lip. I had to do something. “Look, you lost your memory, remember?”</p><p>Peter gave me a strange look.</p><p>“I mean a lot has happen since you were turned into a river. Even though the fleece healed you—”</p><p>“Wait what?” Suddenly the new kid was very pale. “You used the golden fleece?”</p><p>“Yeah. Nico and I got it after we saved Grover from a Cyclops in the Sea of Monsters. Why?” I looked at Peter curiously.</p><p>“What…did you say your name was,” Peter said, scaredly.[6]</p><p>I groaned. Seriously? “It’s Andi,” I repeated, feeling very annoyed. Peter was awfully forgetful. How hard was it to remember a name like Andi? Literally, everyone else did.</p><p>Peter licked his luscious lips. “No, I mean, what’s your full name?”</p><p>Oh! Well that was a little better. “I go by Andi, but you’re right, it’s just a nickname. My full name is Andromeda Sunshine. I’m—”</p><p>I didn’t say anything else because Peter had collapsed onto the ground. The weirdo had fainted.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] I’ll let Andi explain Nico’s attitude. She does so later in this chapter.</p><p>[2] So, I considered taking this line out. I really did. Because it’s rude and politically insensitive, but I think that’s the point. Nico is jealous. The authors might also be poking fun, since Nico is canonically gay himself. Though, in this series, Nico has a thing for Andi, so his sexuality is less clear here.</p><p>[3] I have no excuse for Andi’s less than charming reaction. I will just say that her beliefs are not mine. Loving who you want is not weird in the least.</p><p>[4] This happened towards the end of Sea of Monsters. During their fight with Polyphemus the cyclops, they get an Iris message from Bianca. This was one of many. She’d been sending messages over the course of the book. So far in this fic series, Bianca has been characterized as having a brother complex and hating Andi. In the message, Bianca announces Nico was a fool to choose Andi over her and that he does not deserve his sister's love anymore, so she was joining the Hunters and forsaking all men as sort of a big screw you. Nico took this very hard. His emotional outburst creates a fissure in the ground which sends the cyclops to the underworld and ends the fight.</p><p>[5] So, ages: In this fic series, the prophecy will come true when someone turns 17 instead of the canon 16. Nico is 12. Andi is 15. Peter is also 15 or at least, he is in this world. I have more than once wondered about Peter’s age.</p><p>[6] Again. I know. But it’s how she thinks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 3: I Think I’m In Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc56902316" name="_Toc56902316"></a> <strong>Chapter 3: I Think I’m In Hell</strong></p><p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p><p>When I woke up, a part of me actually hoped that I would be back in my bathroom. At least there, things made sense. But then I saw the sky-blue eyes of wait for it…Andromeda Sunshine.[1]</p><p>Gag.</p><p>And I knew I wasn’t so lucky.</p><p>This time, Andromeda looked more annoyed than concerned, “Why did you faint like that?” she asked, “I just told you my name.”</p><p>I nodded and sat up.</p><p>Andromeda was watching me cautiously like I might explode. I looked around. A few kids were milling about but no one stopped to investigate the new camper who had just fainted. Fainted! I have literally never fainted in my fucking life, but I wasn’t even sorry.</p><p>“Grover went to go get the smelling salts,” Andromeda said.</p><p>I glanced at her.</p><p>She was wrinkling her nose. It was a cute nose, but the mere fact I noticed the cuteness of her nose was a problem. Her presence was a problem. It meant that I wasn’t in the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I was in a fanfic and judging from what I just heard, I was in a bad one. I mean “Fucking Sunshine? Are you serious?”</p><p>“Excuse me!” she said, affronted. “Language!”[2]</p><p>Fuck. Had I just said that out loud?</p><p>“And I am serious,” she added. “I don’t like smelling salts either, but they do work.”</p><p>“No,” I said, studying her now. The blonde hair and that perfect face and body. No wonder. She wasn’t some hot angel. This girl was a Mary Sue if ever I saw one. I felt myself shiver.</p><p>“Are you cold?” she asked, “Do you need me to hug you for warmth?”</p><p>Yup. Definitely a Sue. The feeling of distaste grew stronger. I swallowed and said, “I need you to answer some questions.”</p><p>The Sue hesitated. “I don’t know. The last time I did that you fainted.”</p><p>“This. Is. Important,” I said stressing each word.</p><p>“There’s no need to use that tone,” she said. She looked like she might cry.</p><p>Fuck. Was she upset with me for being serious instead of praising her or whatever? It was no use. She wouldn’t be any help. I stood up. “Never mind. I’ll just go find out for myself.”</p><p>I stormed away from Miss Sunshine and made my way to Cabin 3. I knew Annabeth and Luke were gone, but there was still a small chance Percy was here. I opened the cabin door, bracing myself.</p><p>As I feared, the cabin was neat and clean. If Percy had been here, this cabin would be a mess. I turned around in frustration and ran right into the Sue.</p><p>“Oh My!” she cried.</p><p>I immediately took a step back. I wasn’t interested in bumping into Mary Sues.</p><p>“Do you not like your new cabin?” she asked.</p><p>I shook my head. “Leave me alone.”</p><p>The Sue stared at me. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>I glared at her, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?! I’ll tell you what’s fucking wrong! I thought I had entered PJO heaven, but now I find myself in fucking hell. You probably don’t even know who the fuck Percy Jackson is.”</p><p>Andi wrinkled her nose again. “You really shouldn’t swear. It’s very rude.”</p><p>“I don’t fucking care,” I said, starting to move past her. I had no idea where I was going. I just needed to get away from her. It just figured. This was what I got for reading all those shitty fics. Maybe if I had been more of a snob and stuck to the canon. I would be there instead of…</p><p>“Also, I do know who Percy Jackson is.”</p><p>“Wait!” I said, turning back to her, “Seriously!”</p><p>“Yeah…” she said. “I’m pretty sure I do. I think he’s in the Hermes cabin?”</p><p>I didn’t wait for her to say more, I sprinted towards Cabin 11.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] I should point out that Peter does not seem to remember his review of “Andromeda Sunshine and the Lightning Thief.” I’m guessing he made his review a long time ago as there is quite a bit of time between the Lightning Thief fic and this one. Plus, he himself said the fic was forgettable.</p><p>[2] I believe Andi is upset because the Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters fics were rated T/ PG-13 and had little to no swearing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 4: Thalia And Drew Sleep Too Much</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a id="_Toc56902317" name="_Toc56902317"></a>
  <strong>Chapter 4: Thalia And Drew Sleep Too Much</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p>
<p>I chased after the new kid as he ran past people to the Hermes Cabin. I couldn’t figure him out. He swore like a sailor and he was super moody: Happy, one moment and sad or mean the next. Maybe he hit his head when he came out of the river or something? Or maybe he was always like this: taciturn and unpredictable, like the sea. I was not sure I liked it but I couldn’t look away. It was…fascinating, like the sea.</p>
<p>I watched as he yanked open the cabin door to the Hermes Cabin. There were still a bunch of campers asleep. I guess it was still pretty early.</p>
<p>Peter ignored the groaning and insults as he scanned the sleeping rolls.</p>
<p>“Um, Peter…” I said from behind him.</p>
<p>He didn’t seem to hear me because he practically shouted, “Is Percy Jackson here?”</p>
<p>One of the Stroll brothers glared at him and said, “You just missed him. He’s out training in the arena.”</p>
<p>With that Peter was gone. Great golly gosh, he was fast, especially considering how short he was. I turned to chase after him but then someone hissed, “Don’t you dare leave without closing the door.”</p>
<p>I looked back. All I saw were red eyes under the darkness of a cover.</p>
<p>Oh my.</p>
<p>I carefully and quietly closed the door. Then I ran to the arena like the Stoll brother had said. When I got there though, there was no Peter to be seen.</p>
<p>“Fiddlesticks,” I said, frustratedly. I had lost him.</p>
<p>“Looking for someone?”</p>
<p>I turned and frowned. It was Thalia Grace, head counselor for the Ares cabin, and Drew Tanaka, head counselor for the Aphrodite cabin.[1] The two of them made a screwy pair, but they were best friends and together they were the queens of mean.[2]</p>
<p>Thalia had almost stolen my quest to save Grover and she had given me such a hard time during my first summer. She was one of the last people I wanted to see.[3] I did not want to see Drew either.</p>
<p>“Like, it’s only been like a couple of days and you’re like rebounding with like that new boy. That’s like a new low,” Drew said.[4]</p>
<p>“What! I’m not rebounding,” I cried.</p>
<p>“Like what—eh-veer,” Drew said, rolling her eyes and giving Thaila a look.</p>
<p>The daughter of Ares smiled at me. “It’s like Drew said. Everyone has noticed you chasing after that new kid. What’s his deal? People say his dad is one of the Big Three.”</p>
<p>“Weren’t you two there this morning?” I asked, confusedly.</p>
<p>Drew scoffed. “Um…like beauty sleep?”</p>
<p>“You guys were asleep?” I asked, unimpressedly. I was always surprised what people could sleep through.</p>
<p>Thalia’s cheeks went a little red as she glared at me. It looked like I had made her mad.</p>
<p> “Look never mind,” I said. I didn’t really care about their sleeping habits.[5] “I gotta go find Peter.”</p>
<p>“Hold it,” Thalia said, accusingly. “You didn’t answer my question.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have to answer any of your questions,” I said, smartly.</p>
<p>Thalia got out her spear, “You’re right. You don’t have to say anything.” She jabbed her spear at me.</p>
<p>I dodged and said, complainingly, “Heavens to Betsy, Thalia. I really don’t have time for this.”</p>
<p>“Like, make time!” Drew said, annoyingly.</p>
<p>Thalia took another swing at me as Drew cheered her on.</p>
<p>“Okay, fine,” I said, giving in. The new kid would have to wait.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Thalia has been around since Lightning Thief. As Andi is the daughter of Zeus, I assume the author wanted to give Thalia a new god parent and thought Thalia was better than Clarisse, so she gave Thalia Clarisse’s spot. It’s basically the same thing for Drew. There is no Silena.</p>
<p>[2] Screwy…I know Andi just means odd, but that’s not what I see. ;)</p>
<p>[3] So yeah, Andi got the quest in Sea of Monsters. Nico, not Thalia, helped Andi summon a ship of dead soldiers for them to sail with.</p>
<p>[4] I like realize there are like too many like likes in Drew’s speech. I like considered like fixing it but I found it like way too funny and like nostalgic, so like deal?</p>
<p>[5] Well, I do. I ship it in the other installments as well, but this whole exchange is what confirms them as a couple in my mind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 5: I Meet the Percy Jackson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57577740" name="_Toc57577740"></a> <strong>Chapter 5: I Meet <em>the</em> Percy Jackson</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>As I left the Hermes cabin, I quickly looked around and I was glad I did because I saw a familiar head of hair. <em>Percy Jackson!</em> It had to be and he wasn’t anywhere near the arena. Instead, he was heading east towards Canoe Lake.</p>
<p>My gods, I couldn’t believe this was happening! I was going to meet Percy Jackson!</p>
<p>I ran after him. Percy Jackson stopped at the lake shore. He shrugged off his shirt and kicked off his shoes. Then he jumped into the water with a splash. I got to the shore moments later, but I hesitated.</p>
<p>I was a good swimmer. I was part of the swim team at my school and had won my fair share of races. But still, I preferred warm water and the lake was bound to be freezing. I considered running after him along the river bank that led to the ocean, but what if I lost him? I was a much faster swimmer than a runner.</p>
<p>God Damn it.</p>
<p>I was just standing here as my childhood idol was getting away from me. I jerked off my shirt, socks and shoes.[1] Then I jumped in after Percy Jackson.</p>
<p>Freezing didn’t even cover it. It was cold as balls. I felt my body seize up as I sank into the water. I was numb by the time I struggled to the surface. With a gasp, I began swimming towards Percy Jackson in earnest.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson swam like a fucking fish. It took everything I had to just keep up. He swam all the way to the Long Beach Sound. I was relieved when he finally stopped and turned around. Our eyes met and then he dove under the water again.</p>
<p>I nearly choked as I groaned in frustration. But luckily, Percy Jackson was now making his way to the beach. When he got out, he waved, and I forced myself to move.</p>
<p>An eternity later, I was out of the water. My muscles immediately began to ache. I felt cold and tingly, like when your foot falls asleep and you try to wake it up. I swear that feeling is worse than actual pain.</p>
<p>But it was all worth it because I was standing in front of <em>the </em>Percy Jackson. I smiled and said, “Hey.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said with interest. Percy Jackson was interested in meeting me! “You’re the new kid, right? Son of Poseidon? I heard some campers talking about it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess that’s me,” I said. My expression soured a bit. I wasn’t supposed to be the son of Poseidon. He was.</p>
<p>He stuck out his hand, “I’m Percy.”</p>
<p>I shook his hand. I actually shook <em>Percy Jackson’s</em> hand.</p>
<p>Fuck yes!</p>
<p>I maybe shook it a little too much, because after a bit, he pulled his hand out of my grasp with noticeable effort.</p>
<p>“So,” he said, “What’s your name?”</p>
<p>“Peter Johnson,”</p>
<p>“Oh? That’s um…”</p>
<p>“What Mr. D calls you sometimes. I know.”</p>
<p>Percy Jackson stared at me. I realized how crazy that sounded. I was acting like an idiot. I tried to play it off. “I mean, he’s always messing up people’s names, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” he said slowly, “Have we met before?”</p>
<p>I shook my head. I wish.</p>
<p>“You look…” his eyebrows came together. “You look like me.”</p>
<p>I beamed. “I know right?”</p>
<p>Now Percy Jackson was full-on frowning at me. I had officially creeped him out. Fuck.</p>
<p>“Uh...Peter,” he said.</p>
<p>I focused on him. These next moments were crucial. He asked, “Do you know something that I should know?”</p>
<p>I opened my mouth but stopped. I’d already fucked up twice. I needed to think. But how could I think with <em>Percy Jackson</em> standing there just how I always imagined him. Well, he was actually taller than I expected, but still. The messy hair, olive skin and sea green eyes were all like mine. This was <em>the</em> Percy Jackson.</p>
<p>“Peter?” he said again.</p>
<p>“Oh right, um…Mary... I mean Andi said you were in the Hermes cabin.”</p>
<p>He nodded, “Yeah, I’m not a son of Hermes though, if that’s what you’re asking.” His face twisted into something dark. “I’m unclaimed.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” I said, feeling dumb. Of course, he was unclaimed. We were in a fanfic land and from the way that Mary Sue had talked about him, it was clear Percy Jackson was some sort of minor character.</p>
<p>“Why?” he said. “Do you know who my father is? Are you secretly my brother or something?”</p>
<p>Me? Brothers with Percy Jackson? I struggled not to smile like a complete idiot. I had had that daydream before. Way too many times.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson’s frown deepened.</p>
<p>I swallowed and laughed nervously. “Sorry, it’s hard to explain, but…”</p>
<p>To my immense relief, his face cleared, “Oh! I get it now. There’s a prophecy, right? About me?”</p>
<p>“Uh…” he wasn’t incorrect, but…</p>
<p>Percy Jackson added, “Luke explained this type of thing to me. You don’t have to say anything else.”</p>
<p>“Luke?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s a son of Apollo.[2] He’s a really cool guy, but he’s gone missing. He didn’t come back from his last mission. A lot of us miss him. It was hard losing him especially with Annabeth being gone too.” Percy Jackson shook his head.</p>
<p>I just stared at him. I had no idea what he was talking about. The timeline in this fic was all fucked up. I was here seemingly standing in for Percy Jackson as the son of Poseidon, while the Sue, judging by her stupid name, replaced Thalia. And Thalia. Wait a second. Thalia.</p>
<p>“Hey…um…Percy,” I had to bite down to not say his last name. “Do you know who Thalia Grace is?”</p>
<p>Percy Jackson made a face. “Yeah, she’s the head counselor of the Ares cabin. I saw her heading to the arena earlier. That’s actually why I decided on a swim this morning. She’s…well…most Ares kids aren’t very nice.”</p>
<p>“But what about Clarisse?”</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>I shook my head. No Clarisse? Well, that was a change I could sort of get behind.</p>
<p>“Look Peter, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to finish my swim, since whatever it is you want to tell me seems to be a secret anyway.” Percy Jackson headed back towards the water.</p>
<p>“Wait,” I said, “Do you think we could maybe hang out later?”</p>
<p>Percy Jackson turned. He looked at me for a long time.</p>
<p>I fidgeted, knowing I had kind of fucked up this entire conversation.[3] </p>
<p>Finally, he shrugged. “Sure. I was going to do some combat practice right after lunch. Do you want to do a round?”</p>
<p>“I…Uh…yeah! That’d be great!”</p>
<p>“Cool. See you later.” Percy Jackson jumped into the water and was gone.</p>
<p>I headed to the arena with a huge smile on my face. Hell had benefits after all.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] It’s never really stated, but I guess Peter appeared at camp, fully clothed. I imagine him wearing a fan-made Camp Half-Blood shirt.</p>
<p>[2] This is one of the major changes made in the Lightning Thief fic. I’m guessing it was done for four reasons:</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>(1. Apollo is often compared to Luke as far as looks go.</p>
  <p>(2. It takes away Luke’s daddy issues by giving him a different dad.</p>
  <p>(3. It gives Luke a cool new set of powers.</p>
  <p>(4. Lastly, and this is the biggest guess of all, I suspect the author thought that being a son of Apollo, God of the Sun and Music was a great deal sexier than being a son of the God of Mail. No offense Hermes!</p>
</blockquote><p>[3] I want to be hard on Peter for being such a fanboy and a kiss-up…but in his situation of meeting a childhood idol, I do not think I would fare any better. And he’s still less creepy than some Regency era isekai heroines who stalk and badger poor Jane Austen.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 6: Boys Like Big Swords</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57577741" name="_Toc57577741"></a> <strong>Chapter 6: Boys Like Big Swords</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p>
<p>I beat Thalia with my trusty mini master bolt and my heart shield.[1] Neither Thalia or Drew had ever been on a quest, so they weren’t as good as they thought they were. Even with her new war spear, Thalia was still just Thalia.</p>
<p>After their defeat, Thalia and Drew were forced to run away. Another day’s work done. Now I just needed to find Peter.</p>
<p>Or not…</p>
<p>Because Goody! There he was, strolling into the arena with a huge grin on his face and a bronze sword.[2]</p>
<p>“Hey!” I called out to him, “Where’d you go?”</p>
<p>Peter didn’t look up at me, he just walked into the center of the arena and started swinging his sword around.</p>
<p>I tried again. “Um excuse me? Peter?”</p>
<p>This time he looked up, but when he saw me, I could have sworn he scowled. Then he looked away and began swinging his sword again.</p>
<p>I was surprised to find that he was horrible at it. He was just flailing about, even worse than most of the new campers. It was funny, like really funny. I started to giggle. Then when he tripped over himself, I burst into laughter.</p>
<p>Peter looked up and glared at me. His cheeks were red. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”</p>
<p>“Not really,” I said happily.</p>
<p>Peter sighed and said, “Look, I get you’re a Mary Sue but—”</p>
<p>“Mary Sue?” I asked, annoyedly. Really? That wasn’t even close to my name. “My name is Andi.”</p>
<p>He grunted. “Yeah whatever, sure.”</p>
<p>“It’s <em>Andi</em>,” I said more fiercely. “Short for Andromeda Sunshine.”</p>
<p>Peter coughed. “Right. Miss Sunshine then,” he said gruffly, “I realize that you’re used to people falling over themselves to please you, but I’m not doing that. I’m not interested in you. I don’t want to be friends and it’s not because I’m playing hard to get or being tsundere or whatever. You’re just not my type. So, let’s just ignore one another and stay out of each other’s way.”</p>
<p>With that, Peter went back to practicing.</p>
<p>Maybe Nico was right. Maybe he was gay. I mean not that a guy would have to be gay to not like me, but well, he was nice to Grover of all people. Even I barely tolerated Grover.</p>
<p>Well, it didn’t matter. Even if he thought Grover was more attractive than me, it didn’t mean I couldn’t help him. He definitely needed it. I walked towards him and said, “I don’t think we should do that. I can help you.” With sudden feeling, I added, “We should be friends.”</p>
<p>“No!” he said through gritted teeth. “I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. Friends. So. Fuck. Off.” With each word, he swung his sword. He nearly toppled over twice.</p>
<p>I could not stop myself from giggling again. Not even his potty mouth could upset me. It was just too funny. It always tickled me when boys tried to act tougher than they were.</p>
<p>After I could breathe again, I asked, “Why are you using that sword anyway? Why not ask your dad for something more appropriate?”</p>
<p>Peter just grunted.</p>
<p>I sighed. I guess Peter and his dad weren’t on good terms yet. I didn’t understand it. Daddy and I had a great relationship. Sometimes I wondered if the other demigods just weren’t trying hard enough.</p>
<p>“I’ll be back,” I told him.</p>
<p>He grunted again in response. He was probably getting tired of swinging that sword and didn’t want to admit it.</p>
<p>I smiled as I left for the forge. Peter might talk like he didn’t want to be my friend or have my help, but he was just being a boy. He was too proud to ask, but Peter obviously needed help and my friendship too. He couldn’t use a sword. He was super moody and mean. Who else would be his friend?</p>
<p>It was up to me. I needed to make him act more like he had in the Big House. I could do this. I would bring back his smile and fix him.</p>
<p>I entered the forge with a spring in my step and was greeted by Charles Beckondorf, the head counselor of the Hephaestus cabin.</p>
<p>“Hey, Andi. Do you need a new container for your bolt?”</p>
<p>“No, the one you made me is working fine.” I lifted up my necklace to show him.</p>
<p>After I had recovered the master bolt, Daddy had given a small piece of it to me which I used as a spear. Its essence was contained in a special locket design by Charles Beckondorf as part of a special quest of his. The locket was heart shaped, imbued with magic, and had a bunch of small whirling gears. It matched my wrist activated heart shield which Hephaestus had made for me himself.</p>
<p>I added, “I’m actually looking for a weapon for the new kid, Peter?”</p>
<p>“Oh him? He just walked out of the armory with Riptide. I tried to explain it was too big, but he said he was sure it would be perfectly balanced for him.” He shook his head. “Some things have to be experienced. He’ll be back.”</p>
<p>“Well, maybe I could speed things along? Otherwise, he might hurt himself,” I said convincingly.</p>
<p>“I don’t usually like to pick out weapons without the person present,” he began hesitantly.</p>
<p>I pouted at him. “Please Becky~”[3]</p>
<p>He blushed and said shyly, “Oh alright, just this once. Come on.”[4] He led me to the armory and we looked at weapons. One of the short swords caught my eye. The hilt was the usual golden color, but the blade was white and two thirds of the way up, it split in two so that it had both a standard point and a curved part, like a sickle.</p>
<p>“What’s this?” I asked picking the sword up. It gleamed in the light and it was translucent. It reminded me of white quartz.</p>
<p>“That’s a replica of Harpe. The original belonged to Perseus,” Becky said.[5]</p>
<p>“It’s so pretty,” I said, admiringly.</p>
<p>“It is,” Becky agreed. “The blade is made of adamantine.[6] It’s super strong and quite rare.”</p>
<p>I stared at the blade and nodded. “Peter will love it.” How could he not? “I’ll get him to exchange it for Riptide.”</p>
<p>“Alright. Whichever, blade he chooses bring the other one back to me,” Becky said.</p>
<p>“Of course, Becky,” I said with a smile and then I ran back to the arena.</p>
<p>Grover had finally showed up again. He and Peter were chatting. I still couldn’t believe how well they got along, but I wasn’t jealous. Grover was my friend, technically. Maybe he could help me fix Peter. I put on my best smile and joined them. “Hey guys,” I said, cheerfully.</p>
<p>Grover smiled at me. “Hi Andi.”</p>
<p>Peter did not look at me or say anything.</p>
<p>I tried not to let it get to me and said, coaxingly. “I got you something, Peter.”</p>
<p>Peter did not move until Grover nudged him.</p>
<p>I smiled even wider and held out Harpe. “It’s a new sword.”</p>
<p>Peter’s mouth opened wide and his eyebrows went up in shock. “What sort of fanfic concoction is that?” he asked shockedly.</p>
<p>Fanfic? Was he so surprised that he was making up words?</p>
<p>“Um…I don’t know, but Becky said Perseus used a blade like this,” I said, helpfully.</p>
<p>“Becky?” He looked to Grover.</p>
<p>“She means Charles Beckondorf, he’s—”</p>
<p>“I know who he is,” Peter said, rudely. He stared at the beautiful sword and then me. I could tell he was interested. He had to be, but then he shook his head. “I’ll be keeping Riptide.” He looked fondly down at his ugly boring oversized sword.</p>
<p>“But Becky said that Riptide was too big for you,” I argued, “This will work better.” I angled Harpe so it caught the light. “Plus, it’s so pretty and…majestic…yeah…see how majestic it is. So much more majestic than that plain sword you have.”</p>
<p>“If you like your majestic sword so much, why don’t you fucking use it,” Peter snarled, rudely.</p>
<p>“I would,” I said, honestly, “but I already have my mini master bolt, so don’t worry, Harpe is all yours.” I offered it to him again.</p>
<p>Instead of looking overjoyed about my generous offer, Peter looked even meaner than before. This was silly. He was being so stubborn about this. </p>
<p>I was about to tell him to stop being so shy and just take the superior sword, when Grover said, “You should at least try the other sword, Peter. Heroes bond with their weapons. If you’re having trouble with Riptide, then it might not be the sword for you. It could be waiting for another hero.”</p>
<p>“Another hero,” Peter echoed. He nodded. “Fine. I had my fun I guess.” He gave me Riptide and took Harpe.</p>
<p>I tried not to be annoyed that he had listened to Grover and not me.</p>
<p>But then Peter said, “It’s so light.” And all was forgiven.</p>
<p>I smiled as Peter’s face lit up and he swung the new sword around.</p>
<p>There! See! I was right and I was helping! Way more than Grover. He hadn’t given Peter a cool new light sword. I had. I would have Peter back to being that happy boy in the Big House in no time. “That’s the spirit,” I told Peter, cheerfully, “I’ll go return this,” I held up Riptide, “to Becky.”</p>
<p>Peter didn’t quite look at me. Though he did give Riptide one last longing look before I left.</p>
<p>I couldn’t understand how he could be so attached to a boring old sword that wasn’t at all suited to him. Maybe he just thought, despite its faults that the bigger sword was somehow cooler. Only a boy would think something like that, but it was as Daddy said boys will be boys, I guess. And underneath his rough exterior and weirdness, Peter Johnson was just another boy.</p>
<p>Right now, he was acting out, but I was sure with the power of friendship, he and I would become the bestest of friends.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Andi was rewarded with a sliver of the master bolt at the end of Lightning Thief. She got her heart shield during the Sea of Monsters fic.</p>
<p>[2] Judging by the fact that Andi doesn’t mention Peter being wet and shirtless, I assume Peter retrieved his clothes and had time to dry off. After all, he had enough time to grab a sword. Consequently, this means that Andi’s fight with Thalia went on for quite a while. I can only imagine what that looked like.</p>
<p>[3] Yeah. Andi has always called Charles, Becky. I don’t know. It’s just a thing.</p>
<p>[4] And yes, Charles has a crush on Andi. Almost all of the male campers do.</p>
<p>[5] Fact checking: Yes, Perseus did use a harpe sword.</p>
<p>[6] Adamantine is like some sort of mystical diamond metal, so I bet the sword is quite flashy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 7: Percy Jackson Refuses to Kick My Butt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57577742" name="_Toc57577742"></a> <strong>Chapter 7: Percy Jackson Refuses to Kick My Butt</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>I met with Percy Jackson after lunch, much to Miss Sunshine’s surprise. Typical Sue. She thought the world revolved around her.</p>
<p>She had been so annoyed when Percy Jackson and I headed off to the arena and I refused to take a hint and invite her along. But that’s what she got for completely ignoring what I had told her before.</p>
<p>I hadn’t expected my speech to work, but I had to try. I had no intention of getting cozy with Miss Sunshine even though she was hot and smelled good and had given me Harpe which despite its obnoxious magical girl appearance, was actually very easy to use.[1]</p>
<p> None of that shit mattered, because Andromeda Sunshine was a Mary Sue and Mary Sues were fucking dangerous. I didn’t want my entire personality to be warped for the sake of shipping.</p>
<p>Plus, Annabeth, aka Best Girl, existed in this world and she was worth a million Sues. I just hoped she was alright. People kept saying she was lost or missing but no one would say how or why it had happened.</p>
<p>“So,” Percy Jackson said, breaking into my thoughts.</p>
<p>I looked up at him.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you invite Andi to join us?”</p>
<p>“Why would I?” I snapped.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson continued to watch me.</p>
<p>I sighed. “I don’t like her. The less I see of her, the better.”</p>
<p>“Really?” he asked. “Most guys can’t stop thinking about her.”</p>
<p>“I bet,” I grumbled. I continued in a louder voice, “She’s not my type. I prefer…intellectual girls,” who aren’t Mary Sues, girls like Annabeth.</p>
<p>Instead of responding, Percy Jackson gestured at the arena. We had just arrived. “It’s empty,” he said excitedly, “Come on.”</p>
<p>We each headed towards the center and then took positions across from each other. Percy Jackson pulled out a long sword from off of his back. The hilt made a cross with the blade as the fourth direction. All three ends of the hilt split and forked out like a snake tongue.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson held out the sword and squatted down into a fighting stance. Then he said, “I’m ready, when you are.”</p>
<p>I gulped.</p>
<p>Earlier, I had considered telling him that all I wanted to do was talk and that I sucked at sword fighting. But when I met him after lunch, he had a gleam in his eye that was hard to ignore. I mean I was excited too. I was facing Percy Jackson, the guy who once bested the god of war in a fight. It was awesome. And terrifying. But mostly awesome.</p>
<p>And I <em>was</em> basically slated to take his place in the narrative. The least I could do would be to attempt to show him that I was worthy. So, I tried to copy him and squatted a bit with Harpe in my hand. “I’m ready.”</p>
<p>He didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward and swung for my neck.</p>
<p>Shit!</p>
<p>His blade stopped, inches from my skin.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson’s eyebrows furrowed and he lowered his sword. “Ah…” he said regretfully, “I thought your stance was weird. You don’t have any training, do you? Why did you agree to fight me?”</p>
<p>“I…I…” I stammered, “Well you invited me so…”</p>
<p>He shook his head, “I could have hurt you. We were both using real swords, you know.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… I just…”</p>
<p>“You just what?”</p>
<p>“I just want to be friends,” I said lamely.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson gave me a sardonic smile. “Peter, you just told me a few minutes ago that you didn’t want to hang out with Andi, even though she is the daughter of Zeus, our best fighter, a total sweetheart, and the prettiest girl in camp. And now you’re saying that instead you want to be friends with me, some unclaimed Hermes kid who spends way too much time in the water?” He shook his head. “I know we already agreed that it’s prophecy related, but still, you’re a crazy guy, Peter.”</p>
<p>I shrugged. What could I say?</p>
<p>He leaned back onto his sword and said, “But, I’m not insane. I can’t fight an amateur. I could kill you.”</p>
<p>“Oh…” I said. Somehow, I was disappointed that he didn’t want to carve me up. How fucked up was that?</p>
<p>“Do you want me to help you train instead?”</p>
<p>“What?! Yes! Fuck Yes!” I said, breaking into a huge smile.</p>
<p>He smiled back. “Okay then. Let’s start with your stance.”</p>
<p>Percy Jackson spent the rest of the afternoon with me, showing me the basics. It was hard and made me glad I had returned Riptide. There was no way I could have done all this practice with that heavy sword.</p>
<p>At one point, Miss Sunshine stopped by and stared at us, “You two look like family,” she said.</p>
<p>“Technically we’re all family,” Percy Jackson replied.</p>
<p>“Hmm….” she said as she gave him an appraising look. “You better be careful with Peter. He’s new.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” he said.</p>
<p>Miss Sunshine continued to scrutinize him. It took over 20 minutes to get her to leave. I couldn’t believe her. Who did she think she was? My fucking mom?</p>
<p>When I finally got rid of her, Percy Jackson gave me a mocking look.</p>
<p>I groaned. “Look. I don’t want to talk about it.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say anything,” he said, trying to look innocent.</p>
<p>“Let’s just get back to training,” I grumbled.</p>
<p>“Sure thing,” he said, but I could hear the suppressed laughter in his voice.</p>
<p>The afternoon went by fast, but I was happy. After a roller coaster of a day, I was ready to call this experience a win.</p>
<p>Dinner came and I sat at the Poseidon table while Percy Jackson joined the Hermes table. He sat there fairly quietly as the other campers joked around. And I felt guilty. He didn’t belong there.</p>
<p>“Hey, Peter.”</p>
<p>I turned and stifled another groan as I saw that it was Miss Sunshine again. What part of “stay out of each other’s way” did she not understand?</p>
<p>Because I had learned from this afternoon that ignoring her didn’t work, I said, “What do you fucking want?”</p>
<p>She wrinkled her nose, but didn’t comment on my “language” this time. Instead, she smiled like the Cheshire cat and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to sit with me at the Zeus table? It must be lonely being here all by yourself.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.”</p>
<p>She frowned and said, “If you’re sure.”</p>
<p>“I am,” I said tersely. “Go the fuck away.”</p>
<p>“Alright, maybe next time then.”</p>
<p>I concentrated on my food and to my relief, she left.</p>
<p>The next time I dared to look up, I saw her with Nico and Grover at her table. I don’t know why Nico was allowed to sit with her.[2] Actually, I did. She was a fucking Mary Sue, but it was still weird.</p>
<p>Nico noticed me looking and glared at me. I actually felt a chill go down my spine. Even without my new policy to avoid Miss Sunshine, that look was enough to make me keep my distance. For being just a kid, the son of Hades was damn scary.</p>
<p>I went back to my food and started thinking about safer topics, specifically Percy Jackson. He was pretty similar to the canon Percy Jackson though he did seem a little sensitive about being unclaimed, but I guess that wasn’t surprising.[3]</p>
<p>Most unclaimed demigods were sensitive about the topic. Ensuring that demigods got claimed had been the reward for winning the war in the Last Olympian after all. And it really wasn’t fair. I was willing to bet that the reason why Percy Jackson hadn’t been claimed was because he was still Poseidon’s son. This backwards Sue fic just hadn’t acknowledged it yet, since I, for whatever reason, was now Poseidon’s son too.</p>
<p>Or at least, people <em>thought</em> I was Poseidon’s son. I hadn’t really demonstrated any cool powers yet and I couldn’t even fight. If a quest popped up, I’d be in deep shit. People died all the time in PJO books and I wasn’t in the mood to test how thick my plot armor was. Hell, I had almost died just today, right here in camp. I was a nobody compared to Percy Jackson whether he was claimed or not. If only…</p>
<p>An idea formed in my head. Percy Jackson had been pushed into the background, but if I could trigger something like getting him claimed, then maybe I could push him back into the narrative where he belonged. Then I could avoid any deadly quests, and possibly even wake up.</p>
<p>Because as cool as this all was (and it was supremely awesome), I was beginning to think about the big questions like ‘what happened if I died here?’ ‘Why was I here?’ ‘How was I here?’ And most importantly, ‘how could I get home if I wanted to?’</p>
<p>After dinner, we had a camp fire. I let Grover and Nico flank Miss Sunshine while I went over to sit with Percy Jackson.</p>
<p>“Hey,” I said, sitting down.</p>
<p>Percy Jackson nodded. “Hi.”</p>
<p>“You said you were unclaimed, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” He gave me a weird look.</p>
<p>“Well, I think I can help with that.”</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrows. “Really?” he said. I could hear the doubt in his voice.</p>
<p>I looked Percy Jackson straight in the eye and said, “Yes.”</p>
<p>He grinned and asked, “What do I have to do?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Now that I think about it, I bet Harpe looks like She-Ra’s sword + a sickle attachment. It does sound extra.</p>
<p>[2] This fic takes place before Trials of Apollo came out, so Peter couldn’t know that Nico would eventually get to sit with his boyfriend, Will Solace, in a similar manner.</p>
<p>[3] This might just be me, but I disagree with Peter. This Percy acts a bit more mature than I’m used to, so when I first read this story, I thought that Percy must be older. More on this later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 8: Grover Is Not A Spy, But If He Was A Spy, He Would Be A Bad One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a id="_Toc57577743" name="_Toc57577743"></a>
  <strong>Chapter 8: Grover Is Not A Spy, But If He Was A Spy, He Would Be A Bad One</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p>
<p>Even for a boy, Peter was a total weirdo. I couldn’t believe that he wanted to hang out with Percy more than me. I knew most of the boys at camp, but I’d never really talked to Percy. He had never sent me a love letter and I was glad because he kind of scared me. Sometimes he had this look in his eyes, like he knew stuff he shouldn’t and might make you swim with the fishes if you asked him about it.</p>
<p>And I don’t mean the nice fishes either.</p>
<p>I tried to tell Peter this, but he didn’t listen. He just responded with a bunch of bad words and ran off. Afterward, instead of avoiding Percy, Peter seemed to be avoiding me! I never saw him outside of meals anymore. While I went through my days of:</p>
<ul>
<li>training at the arena with the best fighters at camp excluding Luke,</li>
<li>hanging out with Nico,</li>
<li>rolling around in the strawberry fields,</li>
<li>practicing archery with Luke’s cabinmates and a couple Aphrodite boys,</li>
<li>receiving countless love letters,</li>
<li>tolerating Grover,</li>
<li>daydreaming about Luke,</li>
<li>swimming in the lake and playing volleyball with most of the guy campers excluding Luke,</li>
<li>talking with Daddy about camp and Luke,</li>
<li>learning advance mist magic with Chiron, </li>
<li>riding Princess, and</li>
<li>sending at least 50 Iris messages each day to random locations in the hope of finding Luke,</li>
</ul>
<p>Peter and Percy were doing their own boy thing all summer which included:</p>
<ul>
<li>swimming to the sound,</li>
<li>laughing too much,</li>
<li>various trips to the forest,</li>
<li>sharing too many knowing looks,</li>
<li>having too much fun,</li>
<li>flying Pegasi,</li>
<li>gaining notoriety around camp,</li>
<li>practicing swordplay, and</li>
<li>generally looking like a happy couple of friends.</li>
</ul>
<p>How do I know what they were doing if I never saw them outside of meals?</p>
<p>Grover.</p>
<p>Since Peter liked Grover for some reason, Grover was able to get close to him and Percy no problem. After Grover saw how Peter kept being mean to me, Grover offered to spy on him and Percy for me which I, of course, refused because spying is wrong and creepy. Instead, I told Grover to just keep an eye on Peter and Percy, tell me about their adventures at every meal, and alert me if there was any trouble.</p>
<p>Grover was happy to oblige as he had nothing better to do. But to my surprise, Nico didn’t like it. He had mumbled more than once that: “If Peter wants to hang out with that weird Percy kid instead of us, leave him be. It’s none of our business and you deserve better anyway, Andi.”</p>
<p>But I couldn’t leave Peter alone because it <em>was</em> my business. Nico just didn’t understand. I was positive that I needed to keep an eye on Peter. Him pushing me away was another sign of how much he needed my help.</p>
<p>So, even with Grover following Peter around, I still did my best to be friendly and available to Peter despite my own very busy and productive schedule of:</p>
<ul>
<li>training at the arena with the best fighters at camp excluding Luke,</li>
<li>hanging out with Nico,</li>
<li>rolling around in the strawberry fields,</li>
<li>practicing archery with Luke’s cabinmates and a couple Aphrodite boys,</li>
<li>receiving countless love letters,</li>
<li>tolerating Grover,</li>
<li>daydreaming about Luke,</li>
<li>swimming in the lake and playing volleyball with most of the guy campers excluding Luke,</li>
<li>talking with Daddy about camp and Luke,</li>
<li>learning advance mist magic with Chiron, </li>
<li>riding Princess, and</li>
<li>sending at least 50 Iris messages each day to random locations in the hope of finding Luke.[1]</li>
</ul>
<p>I invited Peter and even Percy! to sit with me most days and I said hi and asked Peter about his day whenever I saw him. He mostly responded by swearing at me and it hurt, but I kept trying even as Nico rolled his eyes and Grover kept me informed because I wasn’t worried. I knew I’d win Peter over in the end.</p>
<p>Then after a few months, something bad happened. It was just before dinner and I was playing Mythomagic with Nico when Grover ran up to me. “Andi! Andi!”</p>
<p>Nico rolled his eyes. “Here we go again,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“Hey Grover.” I tried to put on my best smile.</p>
<p>“Andi, it’s horrible. Terrible. It’s—”</p>
<p>“What is it Grover?” I said interrupting him.</p>
<p>“Percy and Peter are missing. They went into the sound and haven’t come back,” he said, frantically.</p>
<p>“So?” Nico mumbled. I had to agree. Grover despite being a nature spirit often lost track of Peter and Percy when they went into the sound or into the forest.</p>
<p>I asked, “How long have they been gone? A few hours?”</p>
<p>“No! They’ve been gone since last night,” he said, nervously rubbing his hands together.</p>
<p>I exchanged a look with Nico. Even he looked a bit surprised.</p>
<p>“We should inform the Stroll brothers and organize a search,” I said, decisively.</p>
<p>Grover looked relieved and was nodding.</p>
<p>“Not yet,” Nico whispered.</p>
<p>I turned and looked at him. “Not yet?” I repeated, confusedly.</p>
<p>“They might turn up tonight,” Nico whispered. “Let’s not make a big deal of it yet. They’re always disappearing. Maybe they just got held up by something.”</p>
<p>I frowned. Nico might be right. It was common for them to skip out on a meal every so often due to their weird boy schedule, but still… “We can’t take that chance,” I said, decisively, “We should inform people tonight.”</p>
<p>“After dinner,” Nico whispered, “It’s time.” He gestured at the campers going to their tables.</p>
<p>“Fine,” I said. We went to dinner, but I was tense. The Hermes cabin barely seemed to notice Percy’s absence and Chiron just frowned at Peter’s missing seat, but said nothing. According to Grover, Peter and Percy had missed every meal today. I was surprised how little anyone seemed to care. Annabeth and Luke were already gone. I would have thought that people would be on high alert.</p>
<p>As soon as dinner ended, I informed Chiron and the Stroll brothers, but they also wanted to wait until morning.</p>
<p>“It is already quite dark, Andi,” Chiron said sagely.</p>
<p>“Yeah, and those two are always disappearing these days,” one of the Stroll brothers said.</p>
<p>It took me 2 whole minutes to convince them to change their minds.[2] Even then it was a short search session. We found no sign of Peter or Percy besides a hippocampus mentioning they went searching for one of its eggs yesterday. Grover talked with the thing, but it didn’t have any other information for us. In the end, Chiron forced us to call it a night.</p>
<p>I went to my cabin, still worried and upset. Grover offered to stay with me and play me music to help me sleep, but I declined. Grover had greatly improved his playing this summer, but I didn’t like the idea of him watching me sleep.</p>
<p>It might have been a mistake though. I had weird nightmares and I felt horrible in the morning. Worse yet, Peter and Percy still hadn’t returned.</p>
<p>The camp began searching in earnest the next day. We looked over the hippocampus’s nest as best we could. Then we looked over the rest of the beach and water. Scuba gear was used and the satyrs convinced the sea creatures to help us for a while, but we didn’t find anything. It really seemed like Peter and Percy had disappeared.</p>
<p>After a couple days, most people had stopped searching, but I kept looking with Grover and Nico. However, after a week, even they were getting tired of looking.</p>
<p>“Andi,” Nico muttered. “We have searched everywhere. Seaweed Brain and kelp boy are gone.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Grover agreed. “I agree with Nico. It’s been days. Not even the sea creatures know what happened to them.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Andi,” Nico whispered.</p>
<p>Grover tried to put an arm around me but I shook him off. “No guys, we have to keep looking,” I said determinedly.</p>
<p>“Do we though?” Nico mumbled.</p>
<p>“Yes!” I snapped.[3]</p>
<p>Grover and Nico just looked at me.</p>
<p>“Yes!” I repeated more forcefully. “Come on guys!” I nearly shouted at them. Didn’t they understand? We couldn’t stop looking.</p>
<p>Nico held up his hands and Grover actually cowered.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Nico hissed, giving in. “Fine. We will keep looking. I’ll even do another reading to make sure those idiots are alive, but all that will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Okay?”</p>
<p>I hesitated.</p>
<p>“Come on Andi. It’s dark and way past curfew,” he pointed out, quietly. “We should at least call it a night.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m tired. Let’s go to bed,” Grover said, heartlessly. “I’m sure things will look better in the morning.”</p>
<p>I sighed. “Okay.”</p>
<p>I knew they were right about it being late, so we headed back to camp emptyhanded. Again. Nico went to the Big House and Grover went to wherever he slept. I got back to my cabin and stared up at the statue of Zeus, Lord of the Skies and King of the Gods. I hadn’t wanted to bother him. He really didn’t like Peter, or any boys really, but I needed help.</p>
<p>“Daddy?”</p>
<p>The statue came to life and he said, “What is it, honey?”</p>
<p>I told him the situation.</p>
<p>“More missing boys?” Daddy said, rubbing his beard.</p>
<p>“Peter is the son of Poseidon, remember?” I said, hoping that would catch his interest.</p>
<p>“Oh...him,” he said, disapprovingly. “It might be for the best that he’s gone. We don’t want another prophecy kid running around. That Hades boy is bad enough.” [4]</p>
<p>“Daddy!” I cried and a single tear rolled down my cheek.</p>
<p>“Oh no. Honey, don’t cry,” Daddy said, hugging me. Now there were two tears rolling down on each cheek. I was so very sad.</p>
<p>“Do you want a new pony? Would that cheer you up?” [5]</p>
<p>I shook my head.</p>
<p>“How about another oak tree?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“An eagle?”</p>
<p>“Daddy!” I wailed.</p>
<p>“Fine. Fine. I’ll tell Hermes to keep an eye out for that Peter boy, okay?” </p>
<p>I sniffled and nodded.</p>
<p>“And…I’m sorry I said the boy was better off dead,” he grumbled.</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” I said.</p>
<p>He sighed. “You have too many male friends, Andromeda. It makes your daddy jealous.”</p>
<p>“I know, Daddy. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>He sighed again. “Still, it is strange. Yet another boy missing,” he said wonderingly. “First Luke and now this Peter fellow and the other one.” He shook his head. “I’ll make sure Hermes does his best, but I make you no promises,” he said huffily.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”</p>
<p>Daddy relaxed and he smiled down at me. “And I love you, my little sunshine. Come give me a kiss goodnight.”</p>
<p>I got up on my tip toes and kissed Daddy on the cheek. Then I said, “Goodnight, Daddy.”</p>
<p>He smiled at me even more and hugged me tight. “Goodnight, honey,” he said lovingly. When he released me, he turned into stone once more.</p>
<p>I watched the statue for a moment longer. I had thought that getting Daddy’s help would make me feel better, but the whole conversation just reminded me of losing Luke.[6] I began to cry again.</p>
<p>I continued to cry as I undressed, put on my pajamas, brushed my teeth, washed my face, brushed my lovely honey hair 33 times, got into bed, rolled over, pulled the covers on top of me, and went to sleep.</p>
<p>I was still crying in my dreams. They were filled with the angry voices. Among all the rage and judgment, I heard Peter’s voice saying:</p>
<p>
  <em>You should be ashamed.</em>
</p>
<p>I wanted to answer him and all the rest, but I couldn’t. I had lost Annabeth, Luke, and now Peter. And yet all I could do was cry about it. What type of hero was that? What type of hero lost everyone they cared about?</p>
<p>I <em>was</em> ashamed, how could I not be?</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] So, after that lovely call back to the passage six paragraphs ago, you might be wondering what sort of editing I’m actually doing for this fic. Honestly, for Andi’s chapters I try to do as little as possible. I correct most of the spelling and grammar errors but I like to leave the good old sueish content alone. And I’m perfectly willing to sacrifice the English language to preserve what I perceive as authorial intent. (So, smile happily, my friends.) Thus, Peter is where my editing skills go as he’s not supposed to sound like a Mary Sue. As a side note to this footnote, early in my editing, I had to decide whether to cut down on Peter’s swearing. I was tempted to (with less of his colorful language around, I might have managed a T rating), but once again I put authorial intent first. After all, the damn curse words are part of his fucking charm.</p>
<p>[2] As you can imagine, Andi is not used to having to convince people to do stuff. Usually asking is enough.</p>
<p>[3] Usually.</p>
<p>[4] Like I said usually, but today is a rough day in Andi land.</p>
<p>[5] I am pretty sure he means a baby Pegasus.</p>
<p>[6] Yes. There was a very similar conversation in Sea of Monsters about Luke. (Though it took things a bit more seriously.) During that conversation, Zeus also offered an eagle, a pair of oak trees and a baby Pegasus. Obviously, Andi held out for what she really wanted, but on another occasion, she did ask if she could have the Pegasus, but I don’t know whether Andi acquired the pair of oak trees from that conversation or a completely different bribery conversation.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 9: No One Remembers The Goddess Of Memory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57577744" name="_Toc57577744"></a> <strong>Chapter 9: No One Remembers The Goddess Of Memory</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>I was falling. Percy Jackson and I had been falling for a few hours at least.</p>
<p>I glanced at Percy. The demigod was deep in thought, but looked fairly calm, unlike me. I was too busy freaking the fuck out. It didn’t matter how long we were left in limbo. Damnation is not something I could take lightly.</p>
<p>It had all started when we had gone to the Long Beach Sound after dinner to see if any sea creatures needed our help. For the last few months, Percy and I had been training, fighting monsters, helping sea creatures, and developing our powers in the hope that it would get Percy claimed.</p>
<p>Just as we were going to call it a night, a hippocampus had come to us seeking our aid. It seemed that one of their eggs had been lost. Little known fact, hippocampi lay eggs like fish. For the first few weeks, baby hippocampi incubate until they have strong enough limbs to break the egg membrane and face the ocean currents.</p>
<p>Percy and I had tried to act concerned about the missing egg, but hippocampi were dumb and forgetful creatures. A missing egg could be lost in the same way a person loses a pair of sunglasses on their head.</p>
<p>However, as we began to search the hippocampus’s nest, it did look like the egg really was lost. Eventually, Percy, the hippocampus, and I had split up to cover a wider area, but I still hadn’t found anything.</p>
<p>Then Percy had cried out. There was a loud suction sound.</p>
<p>“Percy,” I called. I swam towards the odd noise and soon saw the cause. There was a dark hole opening up in the ocean floor that was sucking in the seawater like a drain. Percy was caught in the current and desperately trying to get away.</p>
<p>“Percy!”</p>
<p>He looked up at me and shouted, “No! It’s too late. Get back!”</p>
<p>But it was too late for me too. The few moments that it had taken me to assess the situation had been enough time for the current to draw me in too. I was no longer moving of my own accord. I scrambled to try and escape. I even attempted to use my hydrokinesis powers, but I couldn’t concentrate. The pull from the water kept intensifying as the hole continued to grow.</p>
<p>Within seconds, I slammed into Percy. We both lost our balance and fell into the abyss.</p>
<p>Hurdling down in a saltwater waterfall that led into darkness, we screamed for the first couple minutes or so. Then our throats got sore and we realized that we were still falling. After that we had started talking about this and that as there was nothing else to do.</p>
<p>Then a couple hours ago, I got a brief glance of a circular room with a small ledge before we passed it by and that’s when I knew we were officially fucked.[1]</p>
<p>“Percy!” I had said, interrupting his explanation of how he had gotten himself expelled from kindergarten, twice.</p>
<p>“What?” he said. His expression had gone serious.</p>
<p>“I think we’re heading to Tartarus,” I had blurted out.</p>
<p>“Is that so,” he had responded, “because I could have sworn that we were going to Disneyland.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t that funny, but I had laughed anyway. It was better than the alternative. And fuck, I had been ready for just that.</p>
<p>Training at camp and fighting an occasional scorpion or some giant ants in the forest was one thing, but I really wasn’t ready to go on an odyssey to fucking hell. Because that’s what it was.</p>
<p>Tartarus was Actual Fucking Hell.</p>
<p>It was the worst part of the underworld. Because I didn’t read <em>those books</em> anymore, I didn’t know much about it, but it had to be bad.[2]</p>
<p>Percy and I were heading towards eternal damnation.</p>
<p>Even as we tried to keep talking that thought loomed over us and we fell silent in the end. Since then, each of us had been busy thinking our own thoughts, so it was jarring when Percy said “Hey!”</p>
<p>He swam over to me and I noticed the water was looking a little different. It felt different too, but I was still confused when he asked urgently, “Is the water talking to you too?”</p>
<p>“What are you-?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Forget your worries.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let me in.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Forget your woes.</em>
</p>
<p>“Peter?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Let me in.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Forget life’s pain and life’s lessons.</em>
</p>
<p>“Peter!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>To be born anew and be born again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Just let me in. Just let me in.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Just let me in. Just let me in.</em>
</p>
<p>“Hey! Peter!” Percy was shaking me.</p>
<p>
  <em>Forget him too. Forget him too.</em>
</p>
<p>No. I struggled to focus on Percy’s voice. His face was inches from mine and he looked scared. Since I met him, Percy had almost never looked scared. It woke me up.</p>
<p>“Percy?” I said over the voices.</p>
<p>He gave me a watery smile. “There he is.”</p>
<p>I was back. Well kind of…The voices were still there but less.</p>
<p>
  <em>Let me… Let…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Become…ter…</em>
</p>
<p>“You had me worried.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” I said.</p>
<p>Percy shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry about. We just need to make sure to not do what the creepy voice says and stay dry.” [3]</p>
<p>I nodded though I was distracted. Now that I wasn’t hypnotized, I realized two things:</p>
<ol>
<li>We were slowing down and;</li>
<li>The water was now the color of watered-down milk (Though if you ask me it ought to be black and it <em>definitely</em> shouldn’t be talking![4]) and the liquid was so opaque that I could see less than a foot in front of me.</li>
</ol>
<p>Those details pointed to two unpleasant facts. First that Tartarus awaited us and second, “Percy, I think we’re in the River Lethe!”</p>
<p>The words seemed to be magic because at last, though we hadn’t stopped moving, we were no longer falling.</p>
<p>“The what?” Percy asked. At this point, I could barely make Percy out even though his hands were still on my shoulders.</p>
<p>“It’s the river of forgetfulness. It’s part of the underworld and Tartarus I guess,” I explained to him.</p>
<p>I looked around which didn’t do much good since I saw the same milky white emptiness in every direction. Still, I could tell instinctually that our momentum from the waterfall had sunk us deep into the river and the now we were being pulled sideways. The river was probably trying to take us further into hell.</p>
<p>“We gotta fight the current.” I told Percy. “I don’t think we want to go where its leading.”</p>
<p>“Gotcha.” He held out one of his hands in front of me so I could not miss it which meant that he nearly smacked me in the face. Then he said, “Grab my hand and let’s go.”</p>
<p>I looked at Percy Jackson’s hand. Another time I might have protested, but now was not the time for machismo. It was holding hands or risking separation, so I took Percy’s hand and together we started to swim upstream.</p>
<p>We tried surfacing but the air was unbreathable and the hellish lava landscape of Tartarus was far from encouraging.</p>
<p>After that, we stayed underwater. Luckily, the waterfall we came through was not the end of the river. We kept swimming and came across another smaller waterfall.[5] This one, we could actually swim up. By the time we reached the top, the water temperature had dropped from hot bath to chilly lake.</p>
<p>Percy and I shared a look and we tried surfacing again. I never thought I would be so glad to see the underworld.</p>
<p>“What now?” Percy asked.</p>
<p>“Let’s get onto shore and follow the river from there,” I suggested. The voices hadn’t stopped and they were giving me a headache.</p>
<p>Percy agreed.</p>
<p>We crawled up onto the shore. I dropped Percy’s hand and basically collapsed onto all fours. I knew we needed to open one of our knapsacks and get out an ambrosia square, but I was so fucking done.[6] Beside me, Percy wasn’t much better. He was still standing, but his eyes were closed and he looked half-dead from exhaustion.</p>
<p>“Good evening, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Jackson,” a feminine voice called.</p>
<p>I jerked myself back into a standing position and turned around, suddenly alert. And very confused, because the white River Lethe had disappeared. In its place there was a black stream coming from a stone well. On the well wall, there sat a woman holding a hippocampus egg in her lap.</p>
<p>Percy and I shared at look. The woman was definitely a goddess, but I wasn’t sure who. She had long and wavy red hair, but that was the only pretty thing about her. Her posture was rigid and she had the sort of face that did more frowning than smiling. She was also wearing a light green toga instead of something more modern like most of the gods did in the PJO canon.</p>
<p>I frowned. She definitely wasn’t Persephone. I did not think she was Hecate either. Maybe she was some minor goddess or a water nymph?</p>
<p>Percy, who unlike me wasn’t stunned into silence, asked, “Who are you?”</p>
<p>“I am called Mnemosyne,” she said.[7]</p>
<p>“Like mnemonic,” I said with sudden clarity.</p>
<p>“Mnemonic?” Percy turned to me.</p>
<p>“Uh…” I glanced at the goddess.</p>
<p>“Go on, Mr. Johnson,” she said with an encouraging nod.</p>
<p>“Mnemonic, like the ABC song or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, my mom is always coming up with new ones for me. They help you remember stuff.”</p>
<p>“That’s right,” she said in a way that made me feel like I was in a classroom.</p>
<p>“So, you’re a goddess of remembering?” Percy asked her.</p>
<p>“Half-credit, Mr. Jackson. The correct term is Goddess of Memory,” she said, “Though even that is not 100% accurate. Nowadays I consider myself lucky if people remember that much, ironically. People’s memories are so faulty these days. It is why fading is so common among my set.”</p>
<p>Percy asked, “What do you mean fading?”</p>
<p>The goddess smiled. Though as I suspected it would, the expression looked a little strange on her stern face. “So inquisitive, Mr. Jackson.”</p>
<p>Yeah. He was being too inquisitive at the moment because the goddess turned to me and said, “Care to educate your friend, Mr. Johnson?”</p>
<p>It was a test. I hurried to explain. “It’s what happens when a god or monster is forgotten. They sort of give up and fade from existence.”</p>
<p>“Oh…” Percy said, looking at Mnemosyne like she might die at any minute.</p>
<p>“You will not get to see a live demonstration today, Mr. Jackson. I am an exception as a goddess of memory can never truly be forgotten.”</p>
<p>“That’s good,” Percy said.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she said, “It is very fortunate, as now I can help the two of you.”</p>
<p>That should have made me happy, but “help” can take many forms.</p>
<p>“Mr. Johnson,” she said to me.</p>
<p>“Yes!”</p>
<p>“I think you’ve answered enough questions for the day. I want Mr. Jackson to answer the next one.”</p>
<p>“Okay…” I said. Percy and I shared a nervous look.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry. It’s an easy question.”</p>
<p>Teachers always said that in the same way that doctors said this wouldn’t hurt a bit.</p>
<p>I tensed.</p>
<p>She asked, “What brings you here, Mr. Jackson?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Percy said, relieved.</p>
<p>I breathed out my own sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“Sure,” he said, “I can answer that. Peter and I came down here looking for that little guy.” Percy pointed at the hippocampus. “May we have him back?”</p>
<p>“A fine answer and another question. My answer is yes. Hold tight.” She placed the hippocampus egg in the oozing black stream and explained, “If you follow the flow of this river it will lead you back to your camp,” The egg bobbed in the water. “but be careful and don’t get wet.”</p>
<p>I swallowed. I’d be careful alright. That water didn’t look healthy.</p>
<p>“Also, come here before you go,” she beckoned us forward.</p>
<p>I came towards her hesitantly. Mnemosyne had been nice to us so far, but there was always a risk when talking to strange gods and she kind of acted like a younger version of my hard-ass sixth grade language arts teacher who terrorized all of the lazy, quiet, and/or failing students. That teacher had always been nice to me, but some of my friends…</p>
<p>“I have something for both of you,” the goddess said as she stood before us. The woman was tall just like that sixth-grade teacher. “Hold still,” she said.</p>
<p>Mnemosyne reached out and touched the back of my head with one of her hands. She moved her hand forward through my hair and then tapped my forehead. She did the same thing to Percy.</p>
<p>“Um…thank you?” Percy said, glancing at me.</p>
<p>I shrugged.</p>
<p>“You are very welcome, Mr. Jackson. I have just given you both a blessing of memory. People often take memory for granted. They are always wanting to forget unpleasant things, but without memory, there would be no time, no wisdom, no stories.” She smiled again. This time she actually looked happy which was a good thing, right? “Memories give us a sense of self. Thus, this blessing will ensure you never forget who you are because you will always remember what is most important to you.” [8]</p>
<p>“Thank you,” I said. It did sound like a good and (more importantly) <em>harmless</em> gift.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Percy said. “Thank you again.”</p>
<p>“It was my pleasure boys. Now you better go after that egg before you lose it again,” she said pointing past us.</p>
<p>I turned. The egg had already floated quite a way away from us and it was heading back towards Tartarus.</p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<p>I looked back to ask if she was sure that was the way out, but behind me all I saw was the black stream heading into the underworld.</p>
<p>Mnemosyne and her well were gone.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Some of you might remember this as the “Pit Room” from PJO Battle of the Labyrinth.</p>
<p>[2] From all I know of Peter, I’m guessing that he’s read Lost Hero and some of Son of Neptune, but was so disgusted that he didn’t finish the latter book.</p>
<p>[3] I assume this means they were using their powers to stay dry before this.</p>
<p>[4] Peter is making an allusion to the discrepancy between the river’s color in the Demigod Files (black) and HoO (white). As for the river talking, I assume this is artistic license as to my knowledge, the River Lethe and/or its nymph goddess haven’t talked in the canon before.</p>
<p>[5] More artistic license.</p>
<p>[6] I have no idea how Percy and Peter got ambrosia squares, but I like to think Andi gave some to Grover so that he could give them to Peter.</p>
<p>[7] Mnemosyne appears in the interactive side story, the Library of Deadly Weapons, but I believe that is after this fic’s time. Hence, why Peter has no idea who she is.</p>
<p>[8] We will talk more about this blessing later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 10: Peter’s Friend Gets Claimed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><a id="_Toc57577745" name="_Toc57577745"></a> <strong>Chapter 10: Peter’s Friend Gets Claimed</strong></p>
<p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p>
<p>I jerked awake and looked out my window to see a tired and dripping wet pair stumbling towards the cabins. I ran out. “Peter!”</p>
<p>The next thing I knew I had my arms around him and the salt water of my tears mixed with the seawater from the sound. I was getting wet, but I didn’t care.</p>
<p>I cried happily, “I was so worried about you. Where were you?” I pulled away to look at Peter’s face and only then did I realize that I had hugged the wrong boy.</p>
<p>Percy had an amused expression on his face as I let go of him and went to grab Peter.</p>
<p>But Peter took a step back. “Hey,” he said, furtively, “Could you keep it down, Miss Sunshine?” He was glancing around at the other cabins.</p>
<p>I frowned at him, “What for?”</p>
<p>Peter looked like he was in pain.</p>
<p>“Are you okay? Do you need Nectar? I always have some in my cabin,” I said worriedly.</p>
<p>“No, no. I’m fine, so is Percy. I just don’t want everyone in camp to know we were out late.”</p>
<p>He didn’t want everyone in camp to know they were out late?</p>
<p>I laughed, but I was not happy. “It is a little late for that, Peter. I think even Mr. D. has noticed you were gone, since it’s been over two weeks since you disappeared.”</p>
<p>“Two weeks?” Percy repeated.</p>
<p>Him and Peter exchanged one of their annoying shared looks.</p>
<p>I nodded and said chastisingly, “Over two weeks. 19 days, 4 hours, 11 minutes, 58 seconds and 12 jiffies to be exact.[1][2] Or didn’t you two notice? I organized a search and everything. People thought that…well they stopped searching.”</p>
<p>Peter looked like he might faint again. It looked like he was finally getting it.</p>
<p>“But I never stopped,” I added proudly. “Nico said you weren’t dead so I hoped and here you are.” I smiled. It was true. He <em>was</em> here. He was safe. I had not lost him.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Percy agreed, “Here we are.”</p>
<p>“Gosh golly, I was ever so worried. Where were you guys?” I asked again feelingly.</p>
<p>“Oh, we got lost,” Peter said, suspiciously.</p>
<p>“In the sound?” I asked incredulously. Grover and hippocampus had said as much, but that did not mean it made sense. Peter was the son of Poseidon. Even with Percy as a handicap, the idea of Peter getting lost in the ocean was…beyond screwy.</p>
<p>Peter nodded, suspiciously.</p>
<p>I glanced over at Percy. He gave me that crazed look. Like he’d seen things he should not have.</p>
<p>Then I turned back to Peter. “Hmm… yeah sure,” I said, not buying it.</p>
<p>Boys and their secrets. If mystery wasn’t so hot, I’d have been angrier. Instead, I just said lecturingly, “Well, just remember: this is still both yours and Percy’s first summer at camp. You can’t just go off on your own for days at a time. People will worry about you. <em>I</em> will worry about you.”</p>
<p>Percy seemed affected by my words. His shoulder shook and he covered his face but Peter just stared at me blankly. He didn’t understand. I had already lost Luke. I couldn’t lose another…not even weird and grumpy Peter.</p>
<p>I was crying again and hard. There were three whole tears on each cheek. I wiped them away.</p>
<p>Peter took another step back. “Alright, alright, don’t start crying again. Percy and I have learned our lesson. We won’t disappear like this again. So, just calm down, okay?”</p>
<p>I nodded. I hadn’t meant to start crying again, but I was glad I did.</p>
<p>Between sniffles, I asked, “So does that mean you’ll stop going into the woods for hours at odd times too?”</p>
<p>Peter narrowed his eyes at me. “How do you know about that?”</p>
<p>I shrugged and whistled unsuspiciously. I couldn’t tell them Grover was keeping an eye on them for me. Peter might think I was spying on him which I totally wasn’t, so I cleverly deflected his suspicions by saying, “Who can say?”</p>
<p>For some reason, Peter scowled while Percy raised his eyebrows but before either of them could say anything else, Chiron came and herded them to the Big House to give them a lecture of his own.</p>
<p>Apparently, a small crowd had formed around us as we had been talking. Grover made his way through the crowd and smiled at me, “I fetched Chiron as soon as I saw them,” he said proudly.</p>
<p>“Thanks Grover,” I said, indifferently.</p>
<p>“Anything for you Andi,” Grover said, happily.</p>
<p>I nodded. It had been a long couple of weeks. All I wanted now was some beauty sleep.</p>
<hr/>
<p>A couple days later, it was the end of summer break. I was so relieved because it meant Percy was leaving. I had decided that he was a very bad influence on Peter.</p>
<p>It was a godsend that tonight was Percy’s last dinner. I went to my table to sit in my usual place with Nico and Grover.</p>
<p>Before I started on my food, I looked over at Peter at the Poseidon table. He had refused to my invitation to sit with me again, so I knew he would be at his own table alone again, except he wasn’t alone. Peter and Percy were standing by the Poseidon table. Peter was whispering something to Percy who looked hesitant.</p>
<p>“I knew I shouldn’t have told him about your claiming,” Grover whimpered, pathetically.[3]</p>
<p>“You did what?” I asked, glancing over at him.</p>
<p>Grover just shook his head and continued to whimper. I looked back over at the Poseidon table. Peter had sat down and now he was gesturing for Percy to sit down too.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the two of them had the whole camp’s attention, even Mr. D’s. Percy frowned at the table bench. He wasn’t really going to do it, was he?</p>
<p>I started to get up but Nico stopped me.</p>
<p>“No,” he whispered.</p>
<p>“But it could be dangerous,” I hissed in protest. Peter was trying to get Percy to sit at his table. It went against camp tradition to have people from another cabin sit at your table. The only reason Nico could sit with me now was because I had asked Daddy’s permission.[4] Poseidon <em>was not</em> Daddy. He was very territorial.[5]</p>
<p>“They have done worse,” Nico whispered, mysteriously.[6]</p>
<p>I was about to ask Nico what he meant when the world shifted and I fell back onto my table’s bench. Apparently, while Nico and I had been arguing, Percy had decided to sit down and now Poseidon, God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses was angry.</p>
<p>“Duck and cover!” someone shouted.</p>
<p>I ignored them and stayed where I was, but all around me, people dove under tables.[7] The earth was quaking like Jell-O, but I sat firm in my seat which meant I was one of the first people to see the sea green hologram of a curved trident with its prongs pointed downward and straight at Percy Jackson’s head.</p>
<p>“Isn’t that Poseidon’s symbol?” I whispered to Grover and Nico who were coming out from under the table. The appearance of the hologram had stopped the earthquake.</p>
<p>“I dunno,” Grover said, unhelpfully, “It’s not supposed to be upside down, but maybe Poseidon was feeling lazy?”</p>
<p>“I doubt it,” Nico muttered. All around us people were whispering and having similar conversations.</p>
<p>Peter’s voice carried over all the whispers. “I don’t understand. It shouldn’t be like that. It should be— You have all the powers. I was positive.” He looked up to Chiron and Mr. D.</p>
<p>We all did.</p>
<p>“He’s the son of Poseidon,” Peter told them, desperately.</p>
<p>They just shook their heads.</p>
<p>Peter looked back at Percy who had stood up. Peter looked heartbroken. I’d never seen anyone look so sorry.</p>
<p>Percy stepped away from the table and spoke. His voice was hard. “There’s only one son of Poseidon here, Peter. And that’s you.” [8]</p>
<p>Then Percy turned and ran. I thought that Peter would go after him, but he seemed frozen, like his world had just broken in two.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Yes, I looked it up. A jiffy is a real unit of time. It is either 1/60th of a second or 1/50th of a second. It is also thought to be thieves’ cant for lightning, so that’s cool.</p>
<p>[2] Uh…I mean PJO Percy has like a perfect sense of direction. Why shouldn’t Andi have a perfect sense of time? Time is usually based on the sun, moon, and planets i.e., the sky.</p>
<p>[3] In the Lightning Thief fic, it was a big deal to have Andi verify her god parentage by sitting at the Zeus table. She got officially claimed. Along with a lightning bolt hologram, there was thunder and lightning. And afterwards, Zeus actually showed up and ate with her that day.</p>
<p>[4] In the Sea of Monsters fic, they also made a big deal of sitting at the correct table. Nico got electrocuted for trying to sit with Andi in the beginning of the fic. At the end of the fic, Andi finally got Zeus’ permission to let all her friends sit at her table and everyone was very impressed with her negotiation skills. This emphasis on sitting at the correct cabin table makes more sense when you remember that the Sea of Monsters fic came out long before Trials of Apollo where Will Solace and PJO Nico easily broke the table rule with a “doctor’s note” and a veiled threat.</p>
<p>[5] Andi met Poseidon in the Lightning Thief fic, briefly.</p>
<p>[6] This is indeed mysterious and never really explained. Does Nico know where Peter and Percy disappeared off to? I mean Peter and Percy <em>were</em> in the underworld. And if he did know, for how long? Maybe he learned after the fact or... (Warning: Conspiracy theory territory) maybe Nico knew the whole time and was keeping it secret from Andi because he didn’t want Peter to come back and maybe he’s holding Andi back this chapter because he is hoping that something bad will happen to Peter. Or maybe not…I don’t know.</p>
<p>[7] PSA: Don’t be like Andi. Practice proper earthquake safety!</p>
<p>[8] More on this later.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: I want to thank march4fun for all his support. He’s delta reading this fic for me. I highly suggest his stuff, especially:</p><p>Puddin - The Adventures of the Demon Demigoddess based on the DBZ abridged series.</p><p>Though it’s in a different fandom, I’d say it has a similar feel to this. It’s very funny and offbeat which means the emotional moments hit that much harder.</p><p>Beyond that, we’re already on Chapter 10 and I haven’t heard from anyone on AO3…</p><p>I was looking forward to posting to the PJO fandom because it’s really big and fairly active. I wanted to see what a modern-day audience thought of this refurbished fic. I know this is an adopted story so you might think I don’t deserve feedback, but proofreading and editing is hard guys, especially since the chapters are going to start getting longer. (Chapter 11 is over 5k words!)</p><p>
All I’m saying is that I’m putting effort and time into this, so I’d really love if I got some more reviews.<br/>
Also, data shows that I post faster when I get reviews. It’s a motivation thing.<br/>
See you when I see you.<br/>
-	Sincerely Annbe11</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 11: The Plot Gets Started</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 11: The Plot Gets Started</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p><p>Months later and I was still regretting how I didn’t run after Percy. He’d disappeared from camp which wasn’t unusual for us, but when I later looked for him in our typical hiding spots, he was nowhere to be found.</p><p>I figured he must have used the labyrinth to escape. We found the Zeus’ Fist entrance in the woods once and I had warned him to stay away from it. It was either that or he’d gone back to Tartarus. The entrance was gone when I checked but perhaps Percy had taken it before it had disappeared.</p><p>Personally, I hoped he was in the labyrinth. As scary as the place was, it was still better than the Tartarus hellscape.</p><p>But then again, who gave a fuck about my hopes and dreams in this shit story?</p><p>Fucking no one.</p><p>How else could I explain Percy’s claiming. Instead of being rightfully claimed by Poseidon, Percy had been branded as the kid of some random sea god I’d never heard of (Pontus or something). I had had to get the hippocampi to tell me and they are an unreliable source of info, but it didn’t matter.</p><p>I felt like a fucking idiot.</p><p>I had been so sure. He acted like the same Percy Jackson I knew from the canon. He had all the powers, but no! That would have made too much fucking sense. In this stupid fucking fic, Percy was the son of the god of fucking sea lions which meant he had similar powers to Poseidon’s children without actually being one of them.</p><p>It was just so fucked up.</p><p>Months had gone by and I still wasn’t over it. Life after Percy was shit. Nothing was the same without him. I felt like I was just going through the motions as I tried not to think about the deadly adventures that awaited me.</p><p>But that didn’t stop them from coming.</p><hr/><p>It started with me heading to breakfast. One minute, I was trudging towards food. The next, I heard shouting. I saw that everyone seemed to be running towards the Big House, so I followed them, only to see a big yellow school bus parked outside. Beside it was a tall teenager with sandy hair, tan skin, and a smarmy smile that he was bestowing on who else but…Andromeda Sunshine.</p><p>I already knew what was going on there. Apollo flirting with a Mary Sue was a tale as old as time. More interesting were the girls leaving the van. The Hunters.</p><p>“Aren’t they beautiful,” Grover sighed. He was standing behind me.</p><p>I glanced back at him. Grover often seemed to be following me around. I suspected this was due to the Sue’s meddling. Speaking of which, “I thought you had pledged yourself to Miss Sunshine,” I said.</p><p>Grover glared at me. “Of course, I have. No one can compare to Andi, but…”</p><p>The satyr sighed again as the Hunters marched past us to Cabin 8.</p><p>“I’m not that picky,” he said, before following them with a dreamy look in his eyes.</p><p>I snorted. It was nice to see that some things were consistent.</p><p>I looked over at Apollo and Miss Sunshine one more time. Now that I’d seen what the commotion was about, I was ready to get breakfast. But just as I was about to look away, Miss Sunshine caught my eye. Her expression was unmistakable.</p><p>It said, “Help me.”</p><p>I hesitated. It was still very much my policy to avoid Miss Sunshine whenever possible, but I had seen too many pickup artists in my life to not be a little creeped out by Apollo’s behavior. Mary Sue or not, Miss Sunshine wasn’t even legal and he was fucking immortal.</p><p>Plus, despite my repeated attempts to get her to fuck off, the Sue was always trying to help me and sometimes to my irritation she did provide assistance. After Percy’s disastrous claiming, it had been Miss Sunshine who had rallied the camp to search for him. Even though I knew she had been extremely jealous of Percy, she had done it for me. And besides her endless meal invitations, she had never asked me for anything in return, until now…</p><p>God Damn it. Fucking fine.</p><p>It wasn’t in my nature to ignore a woman being sleazed on, so against my better judgment, I went over to them. If nothing else, it might be interesting to meet Apollo. He was pretty cool when he wasn’t hitting on girls.</p><p>“Hey guys,” I said, coming up to them.</p><p>Apollo didn’t even look at me. He just continued what he was saying, “I may be able to see the future, but I can’t see why Luke hasn’t fallen in love with you. Curses aside, I swear I could sing your praises all day, every day.[1]</p><p>Sweet Smelling Andi</p><p>Inspiration to my heart</p><p>You are my new muse.”</p><p>He winked at her and Miss Sunshine blushed, but then I was blushing too. That had been embarrassing.</p><p>I coughed and said, “Sunshine, I think Chiron wants to talk to you.”</p><p>She turned and gave me a relieved smile. “Of course! Thanks Peter.” Then she said to the wannabe poet, “I’d love to talk more but I have to go, Apollo. It was nice talking with you.”</p><p>Apollo shot me a displeased look before giving Miss Sunshine another smile. He took one of her hands in his and said,</p><p>“You are like a flower.</p><p>I want to smell your bloom always.</p><p>But spring only comes once.”</p><p>Then the dude actually sniffed her hand before kissing it.</p><p>Gag.</p><p>Instead of squeeing like a fangirl or recoiling in horror, Miss Sunshine just looked confused by the contact. She said, “Uh…thanks, Apollo,” but then she just stood there waiting for Apollo to let go.</p><p>He didn’t. He just smiled again creepy as fuck. Obviously, he was too sueified to do much of anything.</p><p>In the end, I had to pulled her hand away. “Yeah, see you later, Apollo,” I said. “Come on, Miss Sunshine. Chiron is waiting.”</p><p>Miss Sunshine glanced at me and where I was holding her arm. Her eyes widened.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>“Sorry,” I muttered, dropping it, but I could see it was too late. She was already getting ideas. Before I could kill her misguided hopes, Apollo said, “Goodbye my flower.”</p><p>I looked up.</p><p>The god had already hopped back into the bus. He turned to me and added, “You take care of my new muse, Peter. I’ll see you two later.”</p><p>He gave us a wicked smile. Then he closed the doors and revved up the engine.</p><p>Miss Sunshine had to pull me out of the way of the giant heat blast from the engine. I was too busy watching the bus change into a red sports car as it rocketed into the sky and merged with the sun.</p><p>“Fuck,” I said, covering my eyes.</p><p>Miss Sunshine sniffed and I knew she was making her “language” face, but all she said was. “It <em>is</em> very bright. Here.” A cloud moved over the sun. “Better?”</p><p>Yes. “You shouldn’t use your powers like that.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>I sighed. “Never mind.” It wasn’t worth explaining.</p><p>“Okay!” she said. “So, tell me, what does Chiron want to talk about?”</p><p>“Nothing,” I said, still looking up at the conveniently cloudy sky.</p><p>“But you said,” she began.</p><p>“I lied.”</p><p>Miss Sunshine gasped. “You…lied? Why would you do that?”</p><p>I scowled at her. Really. She had to be joking.<em> She </em>had asked for <em>my</em> help. “Do I have to spell it out for you?” I snapped.</p><p>“Yes,” she replied without skipping a beat.</p><p>I groaned. I forgot. Sues don’t understand things like subtlety or sarcasm.</p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked.</p><p>“I’m fucking peachy,” I muttered.</p><p>“Oh, that’s good.”</p><p>There was a pause and I realized she still wanted an explanation.</p><p>“It’s National White Lie Day,” I lied.[2]</p><p>The Sue’s eyes got big and she said, “Wow! Really?”</p><p>I had to stop myself from snorting. This was too easy. I should have tried lying to her ages ago.</p><p>But then she smiled at me and grabbed my arm. “Come on, Peter. Let’s go.” She started dragging me along.</p><p>“Go? Go where?” I tried to remove her arm, but it was like a vice.</p><p>“I don’t know,” she sang as she pulled me towards the Big House.</p><p>“Let go of me,” I cried.</p><p>“I can’t hear you!” she sang even louder.</p><p>“Sunshine!”</p><p>The Mary Sue stopped walking. We were in the Big House now and Nico was glaring at us from the window.</p><p>“Having fun?” he hissed. This version of Nico was always hissing and muttering things.[3] I might have found it funny if he wasn’t so intimidating. I swear his glares could be considered a weapon.</p><p>“You saw the Hunters?” Miss Sunshine asked in a worried voice.</p><p>“Of course, I saw the Hunters,” he muttered.</p><p>I looked between them. Nico and Miss Sunshine were like best friends and she was a Sue. What was all this friction? Miss Sunshine actually seemed to be at a loss for words.</p><p>“Nico,” she began uncertainly.</p><p>He held up his hand to stop her. “I don’t want to talk about her.”</p><p>Oh! This must be about Bianca. Now that I thought about it, I didn’t actually know where Bianca was. As I had not seen her around camp, I guess she must be with the Hunters. Unless she was already dead?[4]</p><p>“Alright,” Miss Sunshine said, awkwardly. “Come on, Peter. Let’s talk to…” She hesitated for just a moment before she moved us forward and said in a flatter voice, “Let’s talk to Chiron.”</p><p>I glanced at her and then saw where she was looking. Chiron was sitting with Mr. D. by the wall. The two of them were in the middle of an intense card game. Mr. D was in deep concentration while Chiron had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.</p><p>“Um Chiron, can we…” Miss Sunshine began, reaching out for Chiron’s shoulder.</p><p>“Shut up, Annie,” Mr. D. said, “I’m thinking.”</p><p>I blinked. I thought I was literally the only one at camp that didn’t like Sunshine. Well besides bitchafied Thalia and Drew, but I guess I was wrong.</p><p>“Mr. D, I’ve told you like a million times. My name is Andi. A-N-<strong><span class="u">D</span></strong>-I. Not—”</p><p>“Don’t care,” he said cutting her off.</p><p>Miss Sunshine’s eyes seemed to gleam with a sinister light. I tried to tug my arm out of her grip again. No luck.</p><p>Thankfully, Chiron broke the tension by asking, “What is it, Andromeda?”</p><p>Miss Sunshine stopped glaring at Mr. D. and turned to Chiron. But before she could speak, Grover burst into the room and announced, “The Hunters are all moved in!”</p><p>We all looked at him. The satyr was covered in bruises and bleeding a bit, but the guy was grinning like crazy.</p><p>“Hunters, eh?” Chiron said thoughtfully.</p><p>Mr. D. just grunted as Miss Sunshine muttered, “I was going to say that.”</p><p>She shot Grover a look. “Is that how you got all those injuries?”</p><p>“Probably,” Nico whispered from the window. I had forgotten he was in here.</p><p>Grover blushed and avoided her eyes as he appealed to Chiron, “Shouldn’t we start organizing for capture the flag?”</p><p>“Yes. I suppose so,” Chiron said with a nod. “Andi, you and Peter go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we’ll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening.”</p><p>“Capture the flag?” Miss Sunshine protested. “But we don’t have enough—”</p><p>“Shoeshine!” Mr. D. snapped. “Do what Chiron says and get. Some of us are trying to work.”</p><p>“Work?” she said. “Do you call that work?”</p><p>Mr. D. finally looked up. He narrowed his eyes at her, “Yes.”</p><p>I really wanted to leave. I tried to pull out of Sunshine’s grip again as she said, “But that’s bananas. It’s only a—”</p><p>“Come on you two,” Chiron said quickly. He pulled us away from Mr. D’s scowl and the important card game. </p><p>“But—” Miss Sunshine protested yet again.</p><p>Chiron just turned us around. Then he placed a hand on my and Sunshine’s backs and said firmly, “Out we go.”</p><p>“See you tomorrow, Annie,” Mr. D. called after us.</p><p>Not bad.</p><p>Miss Sunshine was pissed. She turned back as we walked away and snapped, “It’s AN<strong><span class="u">D</span></strong>I and I hate that musical, you fermented old man!”</p><p>Mr. D. just laughed as Chiron whisked me and an angry Miss Sunshine away.</p><p>Once we got outside, Chiron muttered, “He’s probably going to cheat now, but all well.”</p><p>I was about to ask if I could be excused now, when Miss Sunshine whined, “Chiron.”</p><p>I rolled my eyes.</p><p>“Yes, Andromeda,” he said patiently.</p><p>“Mr. D. and Grover kept interrupting, but Artemis has gone monster hunting and—” [5]</p><p>“I know,” he said.</p><p>“She—You do?” Miss Sunshine said, surprised.</p><p>“Mr. D. told me.”</p><p>“He did?” I asked. Beside me, Miss Sunshine seemed to deflate.</p><p>Chiron patted our backs. “He’s not as oblivious as you two seem to think. Now I’m going to go back inside and do some damage control. Be sure to tell everyone about capture the flag.”</p><p>Chiron wheeled himself back in, leaving me and Miss Sunshine standing outside alone. She was looking a bit lifeless. I took the opportunity to finally extricate my arm. I was almost free when she tightened her grip and turned to me and said, “It’s not fair, Peter.”</p><p>Damn it.</p><p>“Mr. D. is so mean to me. He gets my name wrong on purpose and no one cares.”</p><p>“Mr. D. is mean to everyone,” I said before I could stop myself.</p><p>Miss Sunshine sniffed and said, “He is. He’s so heartless. Luke, Annabeth, and Percy are gone and does he care? No siree, he plays games with Chiron, sips his coke, and gets my name wrong. <em>My name</em>. Andi. A-N-<strong><span class="u">D</span></strong>-I. It’s so easy to say. I hate it when people get it wrong. Luke never got my name wrong. He…” She wiped at her eyes freeing my arm at last.</p><p>But it didn’t matter. I was frozen. Not because of the tears, though I did find the sight of a girl, even a Mary Sue, crying disturbing, it was because it had finally clicked.</p><p>I should have realized it as soon as I saw the Hunters. Hell, I should have been suspicious of the Christmas decorations, but I had been so distracted with Percy, all the inconsistencies from this fic, and the general day to day. Then I had had to save Miss Sunshine from being creeped on and the whole thing with Nico and Mr. D., but it didn’t matter.</p><p>None of that mattered because it was finally happening. The isekai was afoot. We were entering the plot of Titan’s Curse.</p><p>I steeled myself. This was it. If I was lucky, this would be one of those fanfics that like to borrow heavily from the book. If that was the case, the names would change. There would be some dialogue differences, but everything else I should be able to predict.</p><p>If I played my cards right, I would be able to get through this story. I had to. With Percy gone, it was up to me to fill the role.</p><p>“Peter?” Miss Sunshine said waving a hand in my face. “Did you even hear what I said?”</p><p>I didn’t answer. I was thinking hard. My mind was going into overdrive. It was like I was speed reading the book in my head. Tons of the beginning was missing, but the Hunters were here and we’d just had that conversation with Mr. D. I fished around in my head until I found it. I could actually see the page.</p><p>“Peter? Are you going to faint again? Should I get the smelling salts?”</p><p>Chapter 5. Page 63. Paragraph 4.</p><p>“We’ll get Luke back,” I said, decisively. “I just don’t know how yet.”</p><p>Miss Sunshine looked at me strangely. Probably because I had just stood there like a zombie for a few minutes, but also because this was the nicest thing that I’d ever said to her.</p><p>She finally replied, “So, you were listening. Good.” She sniffed and rubbed her eyes again. “And I hope you’re right. I don’t think I can handle losing another person, not after Luke. I was so scared when you went missing this summer. I was worried that I had lost you too and now even your friend, Percy, has run off to places unknown. It’s worrying.”</p><p>Chapter 5. Page 63. Paragraph 6.[6]</p><p>“Don’t think like that,” I responded with ease. It was like magic. I could remember every line of every paragraph of every page of Titan’s Curse as easily as I could remember my own name. I smiled. This must be Mnemosyne’s gift at work.[7] I could do this.</p><p>Miss Sunshine smiled back at me. “You’re right,” she said. “We can’t give up on hope. With you, me and Nico, there is a kid from each of the Big Three at camp. If we work together, we should definitely be able to save them.”</p><p>I nodded. Then I pointed ahead of us at the basketball court where the Hunters were arguing with a guy, presumably from the Ares cabin and said, “Look!”</p><p>As I hoped, Miss Sunshine cried out, “Oh my!” All her sadness seemed to be forgotten as she said, “That’s no good. I’ll go break that tiff up before it becomes serious. While I do that, could you go around and tell everybody about capture the flag tomorrow?”</p><p>“All right,” I said, “And you should be team captain.”</p><p>“Of course,” she replied. “I have been at camp longer after all.”</p><p>I frowned at her. That wasn’t…fuck.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” she asked.</p><p>What’s wrong? 30 seconds into the script and I was already seeing how hard this was going to be with this Sue around. Nothing was ever easy, was it?</p><p>“Peter?”</p><p>“I was hoping that we could, uh…be co-captains or something.”</p><p>The Mary Sue looked at me, thoroughly confused. “Why?” she asked, “When I play capture the flag, I’m always captain. I’m the daughter of Zeus.”</p><p>“I just thought it’d be a good idea,” and though it hurt me, I added, “Please?”</p><p>Miss Sunshine looked unsettled and I knew she wanted to say no, so I squeezed my eyes shut and said, “I’ll owe you a favor.”</p><p>“A favor?” she repeated.</p><p>I opened an eye to look at her and said, “Yeah. Just one.” Even as I said it, I was already filled with regret, but I had no idea how accurate I’d have to be to the plot to ensure the Good End. It was best not to deviate too much until I knew more.</p><p>The Sue closed her eyes and thought. After a bit, she smiled.</p><p>Fuck. Mistakes. Mistakes have been made.</p><p>“How about…” She tapped her chin trying to look coy. She looked about as subtle as a four-year-old. “You sit with me at dinner from now on?” she finished in a rush.</p><p>I grimaced.</p><p>“Well?” she asked. Her eyes and smile were huge.</p><p>“That’s a high price for a single capture the flag game,” I said blandly.</p><p>“Deal or no deal?” she said in a sing song voice. “I’m a shrewd Miss. You can’t get something for nothing!”</p><p>“How about a single dinner?” I offered.</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“Two dinners?”</p><p>She just kept shaking her stupid Sue head.</p><p>“A week. That’s my final offer.”</p><p>“Hmm…” she said. “Is it though?” She tapped her chin again, glancing at me.</p><p>I groaned. She was enjoying this way too much. “Sunshine, I swear to fuck. Cut it out.”</p><p>She was still smiling. “I’ll give you the co-captain spot if you agree to a whole month of dinners.”</p><p>“What!”</p><p>“Two months~” she said drawing out the words. Her smile was wicked now.</p><p>Damn her.</p><p>“One month,” I growled. “That’s all you’re getting.”</p><p>“I’ll take it!” she exclaimed. Then she actually clapped her hands together and squealed, “I’m so excited. We’re going to have oodles of fun together, Peter. I just know it!”</p><p>I sighed. Sometimes, she was so…sueish. Oodles? Who even talked like that?</p><p>Over at the basketball court, the Ares kid was crying bloody murder. There was an arrow in his knee.[8]</p><p>“Golly Gosh!” the Mary Sue cried, “I better go.” She started to run toward the basketball court, but then she paused. She turned back and called, “See you later alligator!” before setting off at a sprint.</p><p>I rolled my eyes.</p><p>Sometimes? Make that <em>all</em> the time.</p><p>I did my best to swallow my regret and distaste. I could do this.    </p><p>I began making the rounds, telling everybody about capture the flag. I found the sleeping Ares kid and woke him up from his nap. I asked him about Thalia. It was still hard to believe Clarisse didn’t exist in this universe.</p><p>He said, “Went on a quest for Chiron. Top secret!”</p><p>“Is she okay?”</p><p>“Haven’t heard from her in a month. She’s missing in action. Like your butt’s gonna be if you don’t get outta here!”</p><p>I turned around to hide my smile.</p><p>At least everyone else seemed to be following the script.[9]</p><hr/><p>Thanks to a bunch of off-screen shenanigans, it was late afternoon, by the time I got to Cabin 3. Inside, it was just as empty as always, save for my bunk. But instead of the usual depression that came from remembering my failure with Percy, my eyes locked onto the new addition to the cabin. Recognizing it immediately, I smiled.</p><p>I really was in Titan’s Curse because at the back of the cabin, there was now a large fountain with water coming out of a fish head and falling into a stone basin. Steam was coming off of the water giving the room the nice humid feel of a warm saltwater bath. It looked exactly how I had imagined it.</p><p>I eagerly went up to the fountain and looked into the water. I thanked Poseidon causing the surface to ripple and reveal the golden drachmas at the bottom. I picked up a coin and I tossed it in, saying, “Iris, O Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering.”</p><p>For a wild moment I considered breaking script, but no, I had decided to adhere to the canon. So, I said, “Show me Tyson,” I requested. “At the forges of the Cyclopes.”</p><p>The mist shimmered, and the image of Tyson the cyclops appeared.</p><p>Right now, as expected, Tyson was standing by a forge, hammering away at a sword. The red flames contrasted with the deep blue of the water outside his window.</p><p>“Tyson!” I yelled over the hammering. “TYSON!”</p><p>The Cyclopes turned, and his one enormous eye widened.</p><p>For a moment, I thought about how awkward this was going to be. I’d met Tyson with Percy once during our adventures in the sound. Tyson, not Grover, had been this fic’s Percy’s escort to Camp Half-Blood. Apparently, discovering Tyson was a cyclops made it impossible for Percy to blend in anymore and his mom had dropped them both off.</p><p>But to my surprise, the cyclops grinned at me.</p><p>As he came forward and tried to hug the Iris Message, he cried out, “Percy!”</p><p>I winced. That explained it. Tyson couldn’t see that well and Percy and I sounded a bit alike but still…</p><p>Tyson pulled away. “Percy you grew small…Peter?”</p><p>“Yeah,” I said, “It’s me.”</p><p>“Hi Peter!” Tyson peered around me. “Where’s Percy?”</p><p>I swallowed. To be honest, I had been half-hoping he would be able to tell me. No such luck, I guess.</p><p>Big fucking surprise there.</p><p>I told Tyson, “Percy’s not here right now.”</p><p>“Tell him hello!” He beamed. “Say hello to Percy and come visit soon!”</p><p>I tried to smile, “Okay, I’ll do that.”</p><p>Tyson nodded. “So, why did you call?”</p><p>“Just checking in,” I lied, “Uh…How are you? How’s the job?”</p><p>His eye lit up. “Love the job! Look!” He picked up the hot sword blade with his bare hands. “I made this!”</p><p>“That’s really cool.”</p><p>“I wrote my name on it. Right there.”</p><p>“Awesome and do you talk to…Poseidon much?” It seemed awkward to call the sea god, Dad. I’d never even met the guy. Plus, he wasn’t my father, not really.</p><p>Tyson’s smile faded. “Not much. Daddy is busy. He is worried about the war.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” I said getting into the grove of the familiar dialogue.</p><p>Tyson sighed and began to explain the underwater war situation, but he quickly went off script. He told me a bunch of things that he wanted me to relay to Percy.</p><p>I agreed to do so and waited for Tyson to tell me about Kronos and the Princess Andromeda, but he never did. So, in a lull in Tyson’s excited gushing over his new job, I asked, “Tyson, what about Kronos?” and the bad boat? [10]</p><p>Tyson shivered. “Dad says he’s bad. Brainwashed Aphrodite.” [11]</p><p>What?</p><p>“But don’t worry. She’s better. We will win the war. Daddy is strong and I’m making lots of swords.”</p><p>“All right,” I said, still feeling confused. “That’s…good. I guess.”</p><p>Somewhere in the forges, a deep voice bellowed something.</p><p>Tyson flinched. “Got to get back to work! Boss will get mad. Tell Percy I say hello and don’t forget to ask him about—”</p><p>Another shout.</p><p>Tyson waved and said, “Bye Peter!”</p><p>“Bye,” I said, but the Iris message had already faded.</p><p>I sighed. That hadn’t exactly gone to planned. Instead of talking about Kronos, the boat, and Annabeth, we had mostly talked about Percy.</p><p>Despite the humid air, it suddenly felt cold in the cabin. I seriously hoped Percy was okay.</p><hr/><p>It was a statement about my mood that I was actually happy when Miss Sunshine came through the door a bit later to collect me for dinner.</p><p>I still managed a frown and told her, “You should learn how to knock.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry did I interrupt something?” she asked.</p><p>Not exactly. “No, but—”</p><p>“Then it’s fine,” she said. “Come on, Peter. It’s time for dinner.”</p><p>I dodged when she reached for my arm. “I can walk myself Sunshine.”</p><p>“If you’re sure,” she said.</p><p>Damn sure. I was not doing that again. “Come on,” I said walking past her and out the door.</p><p>To my relief, Grover was waiting for us outside. He waved.</p><p>We met up with him and we all headed to dinner together.</p><p>Later, the three of us joined Nico at the Zeus table. Miss Sunshine and Grover chatted throughout the meal and Nico was too busy glaring at his sister to pay me much mind.</p><p>Bianca was with the rest of the Hunters who were acting all merry and stuff. I spotted Zoë there at the head of the table. She was just like I had imagined her to be, elegant and regal with that silver lieutenant’s band, glittering in the dark braids of her hair.</p><p>It was a nice mindless meal. I didn’t have to talk much, but I still felt included as lame as that sounds. I was even a bit sad when we finished eating and Chiron made the customary toast to the gods and formally welcomed the Hunters of Artemis.</p><p>There was some pitiful fanfare and then Chiron announced the “good will” capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night and then it was time to leave.</p><p>I turned to Miss Sunshine to excuse myself, but she spoke first asking, “Do you want to play Mythomagic with us, Peter? We’d love you to join.”</p><p>I looked over at Grover and Nico. Grover was watching the Hunters, but Nico was finally looking at me. There was no love in the kid’s eyes.</p><p>Miss Sunshine continued into the awkward silence. “Nico is always saying an even number is best.” She turned to the son of Hades. “Right Nico?”</p><p>When he didn’t respond, she elbowed him. Nico muttered a, “Yeah, sure,” but his eyes still resembled sharp cutlery.</p><p>“No thanks, Sunshine. I’m going to call it a night,” I said as I stood up. Dinner was one thing. Card games was quite another. It was time to go.</p><p>“Oh,” Miss Sunshine said obviously disappointed. “Okay then. Goodnight then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Goodnight,” I said quickly. Then I left her, Death Glare, and Grover behind.</p><p>It was for the best. I was more than ready to go to bed. When I got back to my cabin, I zipped through my night routine. Then I laid down and tried to get comfortable in my bed.</p><p>I was a bit nervous. With three people missing from camp my dream tonight was going to be especially important. I closed my eyes and waited to find out who was trapped on the Mountain of Despair.</p><hr/><p><em>I was walking across an obsidian desert of stone.</em>[12] <em>An eerie fog surrounded me. It dug in its icy fingers and filled me with a frigid chill and a sense of melancholia. Each step I took into the ethereal abyss echoed like a dark siren’s song. Each breath cost me as warmth and comfort leaked out of me like sand from a cracked vase. </em></p><p>
  <em>I rasped and struggled to move in the depressing landscape. Onyx stone pillars, like great trees in a forest in a holt of darkness appeared from nowhere. They seemed to mock my confusion and unease. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Still, I pressed forward. Even as I shivered with apprehension, I stayed strong. My fists were clenched and my jaw was set as I strode purposely through the miasma. Knowing that each step, each breath, each footfall would bring me closer to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As if I summoned her with my very thoughts, she appeared through the gloom. Even in the dank light, I could make out her athletic lithe body, her California tanned skin and her fairytale princess long wavy blonde hair fashioned into a ponytail. She wore her usual orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and I could just make out her father’s college ring and the cord of camp beads around her graceful neck.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Annabeth.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was the merest whisper on the wind. The fog swallowed up the word, but it could not extinguish the feeling in my chest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But that precious feeling was still dampened. For Annabeth was not standing tall and proud as she usually did. No. It was not to be so. Instead, Annabeth was sheathed in sweat. Her graceful figure was stooped. Her shapely legs and arms were bent as she carried the very world on her shoulders. Its celestial mass swirled with the colors of an entire planet:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Milky whites, deep blues, vivid greens, glassy aquas, intense violets, shades of cerulean, flashes of gold, slivers of silver and the darkest of blacks. The colors were as bright as they were unfathomable. My eyes as keen as they were, were nearly blinded by the sight and even if they had not been, I would not have given the majesty a second glance.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Such glorious vistas mattered not when my Starlight was in pain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I began to walk with new purpose. I had to get to her, Annabeth, my Starlight. It was good to see her even as she was, even with all that must still be done here. I was glad that I was finally going to be reunited with her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As my footsteps drew me even closer to my goal, my purpose. I spoke again, forcing power into my words to defeat the dark gravity that surrounded us. “I have returned,” I said with all my being.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Annabeth looked up and it really was like seeing the stars for the first time. Her silver-grey eyes sparkled like them. And her smile, though she was sweating and trembling, my Starlight still managed one. She was a princess. Proud, noble, and true, that coy sassy closed-mouth grin was a testament to such. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She said with a wry exhausted voice that shook as much as her limbs, “I didn’t think you were coming back.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her voice, how I missed it. It was a sound I would never forget, smooth, bright, and clear like a crystal lake at daybreak.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I strode forward with renewed confidence and bravado. I had finally reached her, at last. “I don’t know why,” I replied stoutly. I positioned myself so that I was a hair’s breath away from her. I could feel the heat between us. Then I lowered myself, flexing my limbs and preparing to take the load of the sky itself. “I did pledge to assist you,” I reminded her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah but—” she began and I could hear the unspoken worries that plagued her even now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But nothing,” I replied swiftly. I would not let those fears fester. “She will never know I was here.” I proclaimed. “I will make sure to vanish when the time comes, but for now, let me ease your burdens.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I was ready. I had prepared myself for this burden which she had had to bear alone for too many moons. Then I stood up with my arms raised and lifted some of the sky onto my back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I gasped.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Pain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Agony.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Torture.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sky weighed me down like nothing else. My own limbs began to tremble and I knew if it was possible, I would have collapsed as surely as a twig between a wolf’s jaws, such was the excruciating pain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I had to fight not to scream like a fury at the all-encompassing affliction, but I would not shriek like a banshee. Annabeth was not letting her suffering be heard. She was not whimpering or yowling like some sorry beast caught in a bear trap. I must be like her, I told myself. I must be strong and proud. I forced myself to swallow my cries and turned my head to look upon her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was easier to smile when I had her face to gaze at. Her sharp features were as mesmerizing as always.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Our eyes met. Nickel-gray to silver-steel.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her expression was unlike her. It was soft and full of gratitude. I could feel the warmth of it. Despite our surroundings and the deep despair that seemed to permeate through the very air. I felt hope fill me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Alas, Annabeth did not hold my gaze for long. As soon as she beheld it, she looked away and said in a gruff yet feminine voice, “Your head is full of stardust, New Moon.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I felt my grin widen as it did every time, she called me that. That one phrase captured the essence of our completely platonic comradery.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I replied in a cheeky tone, “Not stardust, just you, Starlight.” Then I winked at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Annabeth snorted, a sound that was uncouth and yet still refined. I knew her well enough to know that her apparent derision masked genuine delight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She said in a choked-up voice filled with love and pleasure and all things good and painful, “You’re lucky I have to hold up the sky. Otherwise, I would elbow you in the stomach for saying that cheesy line out loud.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I laughed with all the strength I could muster. It was a guffaw. A false show of merriment that I wish was real. As I did so, I made my trembling legs straighten. I did my best to ignore the onslaught of pain as I forced myself to carry even more of the sky.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then the actions that I so intrepidly took on had the desired effect. My heart soared like an owl in the night sky. I had done it. My bright mood, my paltry strength, and Annabeth’s own bottomless humor had made my dearest friend laugh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was no sound sweeter. I wanted to lose myself in that carefree music.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly my own laughter became genuine. I was joyous and jubilant beyond reasoning. I had accomplished my mission. I had lightened her load in more ways than one.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My Annabeth, my Starlight, I had reminded her that she was not alone. I had proved once again that our friendship was stronger than her anxiety. She was my partner and I was hers. I was made to support her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After all, a star shines brightest under a new moon.</em>
</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] Yes. Andi has been cursed by Aphrodite to never experience requited love. This was revealed in Lightning Thief and is the main reason Andi and Luke never got together. Andi loves Luke, but Luke loves Annabeth.</p><p>[2] Tell a White Lie Day is on April 4<sup>th</sup>.</p><p>[3] It’s true. Nico whispers, mutters, mumbles, murmurs, hisses or otherwise speaks quietly. He wasn’t like this in the Lightning Thief or Sea of Monsters fics. I guess he’s changed his speaking patterns because he’s supposed to be dark and mysterious now.</p><p>[4] Peter doesn’t know, but from past fics, we know that Bianca should be with the Hunters.</p><p>[5] I assume Andi learned this from Apollo.</p><p>[6] I’m doing these here as a point of reference (yes these are the actual page numbers and paragraphs). In the original fic these references were like everywhere in Peter’s chapters, but I no like (I know shocking), so you won’t be seeing them after this.</p><p>[7] More on this later.</p><p>[8] Ah yes…remember when this meme was new?</p><p>[9] As a general rule, Andi’s chapters will include more of the original PJO Titan’s Curse prose than Peter’s. That’s simply her Sueish charm coming into play. However, no matter who we follow, I promise that there will be surprises in store.</p><p>[10] Andi never boarded the Princess Andromeda because Nico supplied the ship she used in Sea of Monsters. Andi has also never seen Kronos.</p><p>[11] This is what Aphrodite claims happened to her during the Lightning Thief fic.</p><p>[12] This entire dream sequence is told from someone else’s POV. But who’s POV is it? That’s what Alpha and Beta R asked their readers years ago. So, in turn, I’ll ask you guys. Who do you think New Moon is? I will take your guesses at the end of the chapter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I told you this was a long one. It's probably one of the longest chapters in this fic and it's done!</p><p>But I still haven't heard a thing from you guys. Come on I don't bite. </p><p>Please consider commenting. Let me know who you think New Moon is. I'll tell y'all who I originally (and wrongly) guessed they were when I first read this fic next chapter. See you guys later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 12: Peter And I Are The Bestest of Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 12: Peter And I Are The Bestest of Friends</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p><p>It has been 4 minutes, 37 seconds, and 49 jiffies and Peter was still sitting outside on the steps of the Big House.</p><p>I sighed. I still had over 2 minutes and 52 seconds to go before I could go over and talk to him.</p><p>Earlier today, Peter had surprised me by sitting with me, Grover, and Nico in the meadow without me even inviting him to. It was ground breaking. Even if all he wanted to talk about was his weird dream. I had been living on Cloud 9, but then I had to go to my advance mist manipulation lessons and our group broke up.</p><p>Nico said he had things to do and disappeared into the day. Peter had wondered off and Grover being Grover, had stayed just long enough to give me a stupid brochure on the Hunters.</p><p>After my advance mist manipulation lesson, I got yet another surprise. Peter was sitting outside on the steps of the Big House. He had told me he wanted to be alone for a bit.</p><p>Only a bit![1] And he had said it nicely too. He hadn’t even used a bad word.</p><p>I could hardly wait to talk to him so I had decided to lay down in the strawberry fields just out of sight.</p><p>It wasn’t spying. It was waiting which I wouldn’t have to do if Grover wasn’t off chasing after the Hunters.</p><p>When there was only 16 seconds and 3 jiffies to go, Peter looked this way and that. Then he got up and crept inside the Big House.</p><p>I waited and counted down the last 4 seconds. Then when the bit of time was officially over, I dashed towards the house to find Peter.</p><p>I looked around the house. If Peter was looking for company, there wasn’t any to be found in the house. Chiron was conducting target practice down at the archery fields. Mr. D and Argus were gone. Even Nico was off doing who knows what.</p><p>I checked every room on the ground floor just to be sure, but no one else was here. I hadn’t found Peter either.</p><p>“Peter?” I hissed hesitantly. Something about the empty house made me want to be quiet.</p><p>I heard a crashing sound up above.</p><p>Of course!</p><p>There was still one person in the Big House.</p><p>The Oracle!</p><p>Peter must be in the attic. I made my way upstairs just as Peter was coming down.</p><p>“Fuck!” he swore, inappropriately as he saw me. “What are you doing here, Sunshine?”</p><p>I wrinkled my nose at his language and informed him, “It’s been a bit, so I wanted to give you some female companionship. I’m much better company than the Oracle.”</p><p>Peter just stared at me with his mouth open.</p><p>“And it’s not against the rules to talk with me, so there’s that too.” Though consulting the Oracle wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe I should ask for permission. I could ask her about Luke. Maybe the Oracle would know something the gods didn’t.</p><p>Peter interrupted my musing by asking nervously, “You’re not going to rat me out, are you?”</p><p>“Well...” I wasn’t sure. “Did the Oracle tell you anything?”</p><p>“No, she just sat there,” he said boringly.</p><p>“Really?” I asked intensely.</p><p>“Really,” he said, believably.</p><p>“Oh.” That was disappointing.</p><p>“So?” he prompted, anxiously.</p><p>“I don’t know.” I was still undecided. This was the fourth camp rule Peter had broken since coming to camp. Even if the Oracle hadn’t said anything, it might be time for him to be taught some sort of lesson.</p><p>“Come on Sunshine. Don’t be a snitch,” he pleaded, beggingly. After a moment he even added, “Please.”</p><p>My eyes lit up. He had said please again. The last time that had happened, I got him to agree to sit with me. I kept my face serious as I tapped my chin and said, “Sounds like you really want me to stay quiet. I might be persuaded, but it’ll cost ya~”</p><p>“What do you want?” he said, seriously.</p><p>“Another month,” I said promptly.</p><p>He closed his eyes. “I should have fucking guessed. Fine. But you tell no one about this, not even Nico and Grover, alright? This will be our little secret.”</p><p>
  <em>A secret!</em>
</p><p>Only friends and hot guys have secrets. I doubted that Peter and Grover had any shared secrets.</p><p>I nodded gravely.</p><p>“Stop smiling,” he pouted, “And come on. Let’s get out of here.”</p><p>I happily followed him downstairs.</p><p>Once we left the Big House, I wasn’t able to convince Peter to do volleyball, or archery, or swimming at the lake, or horseback riding, or sword fighting, or even rolling around in the strawberry fields.</p><p>Instead, he told me, “Really Sunshine, when I said ‘a bit’ I meant more than like 5 minutes.” Which I already knew. I was good at counting.</p><p>Then he’d gone to the beach and dove in the water fully clothed and didn’t come out until dinner time. I know because I waited for him and he let me accompany him to the dining pavilion like the friends we now were.</p><p>Peter had then distracted Nico by asking him about Mythomagic. Nico had been suspicious at first, but soon he perked up and told Peter all about his favorite game. Peter listened and asked questions like he really cared. Nico enjoyed the attention.</p><p>I suddenly felt like the bestest friend ever. I had given my two boy friends another friend. I felt more than ready to show those silly Hunters the power of male friendship.</p><p>Their brochure was still burning a hole in my pocket. I had glanced at it 68 times while I waited on the beach for Peter to return. It had been insulting.</p><p>Why would I want to forsake men? Just because I was cursed didn’t mean I wanted to give up on love or men.[2] The sirens had shown me what I wanted.[3]</p><p>And I liked men. They liked me. Every week I was sorting through a mountain of kind and thoughtful love letters.</p><p>Plus, there was Nico, Grover, and Peter. They all really liked me. And I really liked Peter and Nico. Plus, there was Luke. I really really <em>really</em> liked him.</p><p>So as much as I wanted to please Daddy by making female friends, it wasn’t worth it. It really wasn’t. Boys made the best friends. Forsaking them was dumb and I’d prove it by defeating the Hunters in a game of capture the flag.</p><p>So, when dinner ended, I looked around to see who would join me in victory tonight. There were 13 campers who were playing: Me, Becky, Sherman from the Ares cabin, the Stoll brothers from the Hermes cabin, Drew, the other Mitchell, Harriet, and Belle from the Aphrodite cabin, Lee and Mitchell from the Apollo cabin, Nico, and of course Peter.[4]</p><p>As Peter, Nico and I headed over to join the other campers, Peter said, suddenly out of nowhere, “I’ll take the offense. You take defense.”</p><p>“Oh.” I hesitated because I had wanted to do offense, but I guess I shouldn’t be picky. After all, friends made sacrifices for each other.</p><p>But before I could agree with him, Peter surprised me by saying, “Or I could take defense.”</p><p>“Really?” I clapped my hands together. He was being so nice!</p><p>“Yeah,” he said, kindly.</p><p>“Goody!” I said, smilingly.</p><p>Peter shrugged and smiled like he had won something.</p><p>I smiled even wider. He’d been smiling at me a lot recently. It was clear as crystal that I had finally gotten through to him yesterday.</p><p>“Hey Andi,” Nico whispered.</p><p>I turned. His face was deadly serious.</p><p>“What is it, Nico?” I asked, but I already knew.</p><p>“I’ll be on defense,” he declared softly.</p><p>I nodded.</p><p>“Be careful,” he murmured.</p><p>At that moment, Chiron’s hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.</p><p>“Heroes!” he called, sagely. “You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Pink team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—silver team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!”</p><p>“Tally-ho! Pink team!” I cried out.</p><p>Everyone cheered and followed.</p><p>We set up our flag at the top of Zeus’s Fist which is a cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if you look at it just the right way, looks like a huge fist sticking out of the ground. It was nifty that Daddy had something at camp named after him and it was such a swell place to set the flag.</p><p>The top boulder was twenty feet and 2.5 inches tall and really hard to climb, but the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn’t matter that the guards weren’t allowed to stand within ten yards of it.</p><p>I let Peter set Becky and the Stoll brothers on guard duty with Nico. Then I said, “We’ll send out decoys. Drew, you lead a team to the left.”</p><p>“Like if you like insist!”</p><p>“I do. Take Harriet, Belle, Lee, and the Mitchells. They are our best archers. Make a wide arc around the Hunters. Use your bow and arrows to attract as many Hunters as possible. Sherman, you and the other boys go right. Take care of any stragglers and aim for the flag.”</p><p>The Ares boy grunted his agreement.</p><p>“While you all are doing that, I’ll do my thing and catch them all by surprise.”</p><p>Everybody nodded. I looked at Peter. “Anything to add, Peter?”</p><p>“Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We’ve got four guards and some scouts, but that’s not much for a big forest. I’ll be roving. Yell if you need help.”</p><p>“That’s nice of you, Peter,” I said agreeably.</p><p>“You’re wel— I mean, remember it’s okay to leave your post if you see a golden opportunity.”</p><p>“Sounds good,” I said agreeably.</p><p>Peter scowled.</p><p>He had been so happy 5 minutes, 12 seconds, and 46 jiffies ago. Why was he grumpy now? He was so hard to read. I gave him a confused look.</p><p>Peter just shrugged and addressed the group. “Now, is everybody clear?”</p><p>Everybody nodded. We broke into our smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.</p><p>Drew’s group disappeared into the woods on the left. The other group went right. Peter and his group stayed and guarded. I waited with them, standing with Nico.</p><p>“Why are you still here?” Peter asked me.</p><p>“It’s all part of the plan,” I said, assuredly.</p><p>“What plan?” he asked and I realized we had never played capture the flag together before. I didn’t usually participate, not since I was claimed during my first year.[5]</p><p>I smiled and began to explain, “Well you see—”</p><p>“Hey!” someone shouted.</p><p>We all turned. Bianca was walking toward us with her bow in hand.</p><p>“Hello, sister,” Nico said coming up to meet her.[5]</p><p>The two twins glared at each other. The area around them filled with darkness.</p><p>“What the fuck,” Peter said, swearingly.</p><p>“Language,” I hissed, chastisingly.</p><p>Then Bianca pushed Nico aside and shouted rudely, “Hey ANN-DYE![7] Stop gossiping with your fan club and come over here and fight me!”</p><p>I stared at her as Nico was still trying to control her and I told her, “Firstly, I’ve told you before my name is An<strong>D</strong>i and secondly, Peter is not in my fan club. Though he’s welcome to join,” I turned to him. “Grover leads the meetings. They happen every Thursday at 1 pm.” [8] I turned back to her. “And thirdly, Bianca, we’re in the middle of capture the flag. Now’s not really the—”</p><p>I stopped talking because as quick as Jack, Bianca had lifted her bow and shot an arrow at us. It was easy to use my mind to blow it off course, but still.</p><p>“Hey!” I cried angrily. “What was that for!”</p><p>“Shutting you up because now is the perfect time to fight.[9] So, fight me, Ann-dye,” she pulled back another arrow.</p><p>I might have just redirected the arrow and not fallen for her bait if not for what happened next.</p><p>Nico tried to stop his sister from attacking me again. He moved forward and was whispering something to her.</p><p>In response, Bianca lowered her bow and arrow. She smiled at him, announcing, “Oh brother, I once believed you when you said such things to me but,” Her voice rose. “I don’t have time for puny words from puny men anymore!” Then with her newly free hand, she thwacked Nico so hard he fell down to the ground.[10]</p><p>“Nico!” I cried. I waited for Nico to get up, but he didn’t.[11]</p><p>Meanwhile, Bianca laughed cruelly.</p><p>“You shouldn’t have done that,” I growled menacingly because now it was personal. I turned to one of the Stoll Brothers. “You get the flag.”</p><p>“I’ll go!” Peter offered before the brother could speak.</p><p>I glanced at him. I wasn’t sure Peter was up to this.</p><p>“Let him,” one of the Stoll Brother said.</p><p>“I’m waiting, Ann-dye!” Bianca shouted. She had her foot on Nico’s stomach like some sort of roman gladiator.[12]</p><p>“Get the flag,” I repeated commandingly to the boys. Then I pressed my hand to my chest and summoned my mini master bolt. “I’ll be back.”</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] Fun fact: a bit is 12.5 cents. So, I guess Andi thinks a bit of time is 12.5 <em>per </em>cent of an hour i.e., 7.5 minutes.</p><p>[2] Again, Aphrodite has cursed Andi to never experience requited love.</p><p>[3] In the Sea of Monsters fic, Andi pulls an Annabeth and asks Nico to let her listen to the siren song. We then got to see Andi’s true desire: to have a family, and experience requited love with Luke.</p><p>[4] Of all the names mentioned here, only Harriet and Belle are non-canon. I looked to see whether there might be some appropriate canon female names to sub in here, but there is a startling lack of Aphrodite names to choose from especially from the pre-Lost Hero era. Lacy is 12 in Lost Hero and probably wouldn’t be at camp yet and Valentina doesn’t show up until Trials of Apollo. Obviously, there is still Silena, but I was not going to include her. It would just be too weird.</p><p>[5] The reason for this will become apparent next chapter, but I bet you can guess.</p><p>[6] He <em>said</em>! For Nico, this is practically shouting.</p><p>[7] Ann-dye is Bianca’s special nickname for Andi. Interestingly, it’s a much less effective taunt than Annie.</p><p>[8] The fan club was established in the Lightning Thief fic after people found out that Andi was the daughter of Zeus.</p><p>[9] As a continuation from previous stories in the fic series, Bianca continues to have bad timing.</p><p>[10] This unfortunately is not the first time Bianca has hit her brother in this fic series. The two of them have always had an unhealthy relationship. Think anime tsundere type violence. It could be brutal and yet no one seemed to see it as such. I am glad it is taken more seriously here.</p><p>[11] In previous installments, when Bianca attacked Nico, he would get up immediately. She never left bruises or anything like that. Again, their relationship ran on anime comedy violence rules.</p><p>[12] So, I definitely feel like Bianca’s hamming it up this chapter, but I’m not sure whether this is because fanfic or whether this is an intentional move on Bianca’s part to lure Andi into a fight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay! Someone finally left a comment. Thank you so much for your guess.<br/>Anyway, as promised my first guess for New Moon: like you I was thinking New Moon sounded like a Hunter. The main hint, we got was the fact they have grey eyes. So, I guessed Artemis. However, I should have realized this was wrong because though Artemis sometimes has grey eyes, her eyes are described as yellow-silver in the books Alpha R and Beta R would have read.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 13: Everyone Hates Me But The Mary Sue[1]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 13: Everyone Hates Me But The Mary Sue[1]</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p><p>I had no god damn idea what was happening. One minute, we were setting up capture the flag just like we were supposed to. The next, Miss Sunshine was staying behind instead of going with the second group (which consisted of one guy?) to be ambushed.[2]</p><p>That had been weird enough, but then Bianca had shown up, bitch slapping Nico and cackling like a supervillain. Suddenly, all our plans had gone to shit.</p><p>When Miss Sunshine had walked off to deal with bitchafied Bianca, Beckendorf had rescued Nico and taken him back to Zeus’s Fist. There, the son of Hades was still crying as Beckendorf and the Stoll Brothers tried to comfort him. Do I even have to explain how out of character that is?[3]</p><p>With all that nonsense going on, it had been up to me to get the flag.</p><p>It had been easy to go to the Hunter side and grabbed the flag from off the tree. There were guards but none of them seemed to notice me. They were all too busy watching the showdown between two of the Big Three’s kids by the creek.</p><p>The epic video game-like final boss battle was kind of hard to miss.</p><p>Bianca was creating large cracks in the ground that were spewing out skeletons and columns of fire as she attacked Miss Sunshine with her arrows.[4] The Hunter kept using the columns of flame to set said arrows on fire Legend of Zelda style, all in an effort to hit Miss Sunshine who was flying.[5]</p><p>That’s right. Flying![6] Who needs a fear of heights when you could be a boring cookie cutter Percy wannabe?[7]</p><p>The Mary Sue was up about 20 feet in the air. With one hand, the Sue was throwing her “mini master bolt” around and then calling it back to her. She used her other hand to control the wind and redirect Bianca’s arrows into the skeleton hoards to stop them from rising out from the hell fissures. The Sue did all this while dodging around fire columns with flips, spins, and other showy aerial tricks.</p><p>But wait, there’s more. Because of course there fucking was.</p><p>Bianca’s flames and Miss Sunshine’s lightning had barely hurt either of the them, but their clothes were wrecked, all scorched up and falling to pieces. Miss Sunshine’s frilly pink and white underwear was basically on full display.</p><p>So, it wasn’t just an epic video game boss fight, it was an epic <em>ecchi </em>video game boss fight.</p><p>With great effort, I turned from the crazy scene before I could determine the color of Bianca’s panties.[8] After all, I had not signed up to look at half-naked 12-year-olds.</p><p>But I couldn’t say the same for everyone else. Everyone, save Nico and Beckendorf, was watching the battle unfold now, even Zoë.</p><p>I shook my head.</p><p>It was only chapter 6.[9] What the fuck was this?[10]</p><p>Suddenly, Miss Sunshine cried out. A fire arrow had finally caught something that wasn’t clothing and she was falling.</p><p>Right at me!</p><p>I tried to dodge out of the way, but she fell on me anyway.</p><p>“Oh! Hi Peter!” She said from on top of me. “You got the flag?”</p><p>I moaned. The Mary Sue was surprisingly heavy.</p><p>“Goody!” She swiped the flag out of my hands and flew off.</p><p>I rolled over just in time to see the climax to this madness.</p><p>The Mary Sue was flying back towards Bianca like Superman. The hand with the flag formed a fist.</p><p>Bianca saw her and realized the Sue meant to finish the fight. The daughter of Hades summoned her largest fissure yet and created a massive wall of fire. Dozens of skeletons oozed out from the opening and flaming arrows appeared from what seemed like all directions trying to hit the Mary Sue.</p><p>Miss Sunshine used the hand that didn’t have the flag to make a waving motion. A large gust of frigid air blew through the forest. I was suddenly glad that I was already on the ground when the wind rocketed past me. It scattered the arrows, knocked aside the skeleton army, and blasted a giant hole through Bianca’s literal fire wall, leaving the Hunter wide open.</p><p>With her target in sight, Miss Sunshine accelerated towards Bianca. Before the Hunter could move out of the way, the Mary Sue slammed her outstretched fist into the girl’s stomach, propelling them both to the camper side of the creek.</p><p>Bianca crashed into Zeus’s Fist with a painful crack a few feet above Beckendorf and Nico. As the defeated Hunter slid to the ground, Miss Sunshine hovered above her, holding up the silver flag.</p><p>“Camp-Half Blood wins!” Chiron announced, seeming to appear from nowhere.</p><p>The Hunters began to cry, even Bianca who was somehow still alive.</p><p> “Three cheers for Andi!” Chiron shouted over the noise.</p><p>And I kid you not people actually cried out ‘hip hip hooray’.</p><p>Fucking Sues…</p><hr/><p>One day later, I was gritting my teeth as I sat beside Miss Sunshine inside the Big House. I had spent most of the day in the Long Beach Sound avoiding her, but I had had to come to this quest meeting.</p><p>The Mary Sue had nearly pounced on me when I entered the Big House. Now she was sitting next to me, happily swinging her legs around and acting like we were the bestest of friends or whatever the fuck she was always saying. I wasn’t interested in her sueified version of reality. I had gotten enough of that yesterday.</p><p>I could barely believe what had happened. From Bianca bitch slapping Nico, to Nico crying, to the boss battle, it was all fucking crazy. Even the aftermath had been game breaking.</p><p>By the time, the Oracle arrived there had been no sign of Bianca’s hell fissures, the remaining skeletons, or any of the other wreckage from the fight. It all just disappeared like their battle had never happened.</p><p>It was honestly a damn miracle that Zoë had still received the same canon quest from the Oracle:</p><p>
  <em>Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>One shall be lost in the land without rain,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The bane of Olympus shows the trail,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Campers and Hunters combined prevail,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Titan’s curse must one withstand,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And one shall perish by a parent’s hand.</em>
</p><p>After all the capture the flag nonsense, I had expected the Mary Sue to get the quest and for us to be searching for Luke instead of Artemis and Annabeth. I was glad that wasn’t the case, but still, yesterday had reminded me of a very important fact:</p><p>Andromeda Sunshine was a Mary Sue in a fanfic of questionable quality. She was fucking dangerous. The world bent to her will and was warped by it. I had been beginning to forget that fact, but I wouldn’t be so stupid again.</p><p>“I’ll go,” a voice whispered.</p><p>I looked up and saw Nico, who as the son of Hades had honorary counselor status, raising his hand.</p><p>I glanced over at Miss Sunshine, her hand was also raised as was Grover’s, Zoë’s and Bianca’s. That made 5.</p><p>“Wait a second,” I blurted out. “What about Phoebe?” I turned to Zoë. “Isn’t she your tracker?”</p><p>Zoë glared at Miss Sunshine and said, “Unfortunately, Phoebe was injured during Capture the Flag.”</p><p>The oblivious Mary Sue looked at her quizzically, not understanding the implication.</p><p>“Can’t you heal Phoebe with Nectar?” I asked. After all, Bianca was going on the quest and she had broken like all of her bones yesterday.</p><p>Nico turned to me and said in an angry hiss, “Nectar does not work on Centaur Blood.”</p><p>“It is like acid,” Zoë agreed.</p><p>I knew that, but it didn’t make sense. In Titan’s Curse, Aphrodite had helped the Stoll brothers give Phoebe a shirt sprayed with Centaur blood, but it was too soon for that. So, “How was she hurt with Centaur blood? It’s not exactly something we use in a capture the flag game, so where did it come from?”</p><p>My question was met with silence. Everyone’s head seemed to turn and face me at once. They all looked pissed and the strangest thing was that they were wearing the same angry expression, but no, it was more than that. It looked like they all had the same exact ‘crazy bitch going to murder you in the night’ face.[11]</p><p>No one said anything.</p><p>I didn’t breathe.</p><p>Then the moment was over. Time seemed to skip forward. People went back to their original positions like nothing had happened.</p><p>Zoë said in a normal voice, “Phoebe uses centaur blood on her arrows. In all the chaos and wind, she hurt herself with her own arrows. It is…very unfortunate, is it not?” There was a challenge in Zoë’s eyes as if daring me to point out how idiotic that explanation was.</p><p>I got that eerie feeling. I looked around. It wasn’t as creepy as before, but everyone’s eyes I saw, Chiron, Bianca, the counselors, had the same look. Even Mr. D. was watching me warily. Only Miss Sunshine seemed truly unaffected. She just looked confused.</p><p>I did my best to smile and said, “Yeah. Of course. Of course, it is.”</p><p>The intense mood instantly vanished. Zoë turned to Nico and said with a very different expression on her face, “As you are Bianca’s kin, I will trust that she will keep thee from being a burden.”</p><p>The discussion continued until Chiron finally concluded the council. “So be it,” he said. “Andi, Nico and Grover will accompany Zoë and Bianca. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods,” he glanced at Mr. D, “present company included, we hope—be with you.”</p><p>I had to force myself to stay and complain about me not being included like I was supposed to. Luckily, neither Chiron nor Grover wanted to talk with me afterwards. Chiron was busy with Miss Sunshine and Grover was drooling over Zoë.</p><p>Thank fucking god.</p><p>I took the opportunity and ran.</p><p>As I put distance between me and the Big House, I kept asking myself:</p><p>What in the actual fuck was that?</p><p>I hadn’t looked Miss Sunshine’s way during that first horrific moment, but besides her, I was sure everyone had been ready to eat me alive back there because what?</p><p>I had started to point out a plot hole?</p><p>I had always suspected that talking too much about PJO might have consequences but fuck!</p><p>Their faces had been child-like, oddly familiar, and filled with the type of rage reserved for insane people.</p><p>I entered my cabin and slammed the door shut like the door could protect me from those looks, or rather that one look.</p><p>That one face.</p><p>I shivered.</p><p>I was shivering despite the warm humid air in the cabin and I couldn’t stop.</p><p>I was scared. I had not been this scared in a long time, not since I’d gone to hell with Percy. And there was no Percy this time. I was alone.</p><p>Damn it!</p><p>I made myself sit down on my bed and wrapped the blanket around me like a wuss.</p><p>It had just been a look.</p><p>It was a warning and I just needed to heed it. That’s all.</p><p>From now on, I would be more careful and avoid mentioning plot holes and any other inconsistencies with PJO. I had already been trying to do that, but I would do better.[12]</p><p>I had some damn good incentive now.</p><p>I laughed.</p><p>It wasn’t funny, but laughing was better than the alternative, wasn’t it?</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] Another familiar sounding title. It’s echoing Chapter 7 of PJO Titan’s Curse aka Everyone Hates Me But The Horse</p><p>[2] Yeah, if you actually counted last chapter: Drew’s group is 6 people including her. Peter’s group is 5 people including him. Then there’s Andi which makes 12. There are 13 total participating campers so that leaves Sherman all by himself. So, I guess Andi isn’t as good at counting as she thinks she is.</p><p>[3] Although it is out of character for canon Nico, our fic Nico was a sensitive cinnamon roll in the Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters fics, kind of like ATLA Aang or SU Steven. Our boy usually was a pretty positive kid, but he cried a lot when he was reunited with Hades and he cried almost non-stop during the end of Sea of Monsters after Bianca left (before the epilogue/prologue anyway). So yes, Nico’s been acting all tough and disillusioned this installment, but that’s all it is, I think, an act. And if anyone was going to break through his new defense mechanisms, it would be his abusive sister.</p><p>[4] Though summoning hellfire for combat is a non-standard use of a child of Hades’ powers, it is technically possible. Nico created flames when he summoned skeletons in PJO Titan’s Curse. Furthermore, both Bianca and Nico are much more experienced with their powers as they figured out their parentage in the Lightning Thief fic.</p><p>[5] Yeah, this is a lot less feasible, but as Peter said, the fire arrows seem to be working on video game logic. And in a world with magic, what use is science and logic anyway?</p><p>[6] This is why Andi doesn’t usually participate in capture the flag. Flying in a game like this is totally broken. Even a young Alpha R recognized this fact.</p><p>[7] Oh, hi Jason!</p><p>[8] Since I know someone is wondering, from context clues in a later chapter, I am guessing Bianca’s lingerie is either black or silver.</p><p>[9] He means chapter 6 in PJO Titan’s Curse a.k.a. An Old Dead Friend Comes To Visit</p><p>[10] This.</p><p>        Is.</p><p>        SUE’S CURSE!</p><p>[11] More on this later.</p><p>[12] A lot better, I’d say. To be fair, Peter is a giant PJO fan and a natural critic. Keeping his mouth shut is not one of his strengths.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 14: I Value Friendship More Than Advice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is for you.<br/>My invaluable friend.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 14: I Value Friendship More Than Advice</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p><p>I couldn’t believe Zoë didn’t want Peter to go on the quest with us! Her reasoning was total tommyrot! If Nico and Grover were allowed to go, why couldn’t Peter?!</p><p>Instead, Bianca had been chosen. Peter was worth a zillion Biancas. Even Thalia was worth at least ten Biancas. Drew was worth like five Biancas and a half and Grover…</p><p>Maybe a Bianca and a third?</p><p>What about Nico? It was hard to say. Nico might not like the comparison. He was definitely worth more than a Peter but less than a Luke.</p><p>I frowned.</p><p>Was there a big enough number in the universe to quantify how many Biancas added up to a Luke? Maybe, if I converted Biancas into Peters, I would come up with a suitable number. How many Peters did it take to make a Luke? A few thousand or maybe just a few hundred. I did like Peter, but…</p><p>“Are you even listening, Andromeda?”</p><p>I looked up and saw Chiron piercing me with his gaze. He had been talking to me for over 16 minutes and we were now walking around the beach.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Chiron,” I apologized contritely. “I got a little distracted.”</p><p>“That won’t do, Andromeda. You must focus,” he advised sagely.</p><p>I nodded and tried my best to look sorry. It was hard because I didn’t want to be here. During the meeting, I had wanted to protest Zoë’s choice, but stupid Mr. D. had stopped me from speaking up like he often did.[1] And then, after the meeting, when Peter skedaddled swifter than a common swift, Chiron had stopped me from skedaddling after him.[2]</p><p>Apparently, Chiron had some very valuable advice he needed to impart to me right now. The advice was so valuable that it had taken him more than a kilosecond to explain it and I was growing antsy.[3]</p><p>Chiron sighed, sagely. “Very well, I will try to summarize,” he summarized sagely, “I understand you miss Luke, but you can’t let that dictate your every action.”</p><p>I blinked. I hadn’t been thinking about Luke. I had been thinking about Peter and how he compared to Luke which was totally different of course.</p><p>“I can see you do not comprehend me.”</p><p>“I don’t,” I admitted confusedly. It wasn’t like Chiron to talk about Luke. The two had been close before I came to camp, but nowadays the centaur acted like Luke didn’t exist.</p><p>Chiron sighed again and I knew I had disappointed him. I felt bad as Chiron advised, wisely, “Peter Johnson may one day be a great hero, but he is not Luke.”</p><p>“I know,” I said, knowingly. Obviously, one Peter was not enough, but how many Peters would it take? Probably several hundred. Like maybe 694 Peters? Or no, 832? Perhaps 777.6?  Though maybe I shouldn’t use decimals. That just tangled an already…</p><p>“Do you, Andromeda?” Chiron eyed me, sagely.</p><p>I nodded. Though I had lost track of the question. Quantifying the value of my friends was really hard.[4] Chiron wouldn’t understand. I didn’t think he had many friends.</p><p>“Good,” he approved, wisely. “Because Mr. D. and I have been worried about you.”</p><p>My eyebrows came together. “Mr. D? Worried? About me?” He didn’t even call me by the right name. He was one of the few people I knew who might be worth less than a Bianca.</p><p>“Well, not in so many words,” Chiron amended sagely, “but yes. With the great prophecy coming, all the gods are watching you closely. It is my hope that you will be ready when the time comes. That is why I have permitted you to go on quest after quest.”</p><p>I nodded. He had said as much last summer before Luke had disappeared.[5]</p><p>“And it is also why you must be careful about the friends you choose, especially with this quest. It is of a delicate nature and Zoë and Bianca will need to have the best campers around them to help them succeed in recovering Artemis. Do you understand?”</p><p>“Of course,” I said, decisively. Although I was friendly with all the boys at camp. I didn’t try to be close friends with every guy who wrote me a love letter. There were way too many.</p><p>Nico and I were good friends of course. Grover was one of Luke’s best friends so he was allowed to be in my presence.[6] And Peter…well he was the son of Poseidon. I liked him despite his rough ways and his many, <em>many</em> faults and he needed me more than anyone, even Grover.</p><p> “I am glad you understand,” Chiron said as he gave me an enigmatic sage smile. “I may not always understand prophecies like some of my brothers, but I am sure you are meant for greatness Andromeda.” [7]</p><p>I smiled back at him. I had made him happy.</p><p>“Now, I have given you much to contemplate before your quest tomorrow. I will leave you to it,” he said and he galloped away, sagely.[8]</p><p>I watched him go and was about to leave the beach myself when I heard a sound.</p><p>“MooooOooo?”</p><p>I turned and was surprised to see a familiar face in the water.</p><p>“Oliver?” [9]</p><p>The cute sea-cow with its large eyes and gentle features looked up at me.</p><p>“How did <em>you</em> get here? Did<em> you</em> swim all this way just to see<em> me</em>?” I cooed.</p><p>“MOooo. MooOOoo.”</p><p>“It’s good to see <em>you too</em>,” I cooed again as I reached out and petted its smooth skin.</p><p>Oliver closed his eyes and mooed some more.</p><p>As I petted the cutie patootie, I thought long and hard about what Chiron said.</p><p>I did miss Luke.</p><p>A lot.</p><p>More than a Luke’s worth of Biancas.</p><p>There was a constant ache in my chest because of his absence. Every day I searched for him and yet I had found diddly-squat after all these months. If I thought this quest would help me find him, that wouldn’t be a distraction.</p><p>It would be the bees’ knees!</p><p>But we were going to find Artemis and Luke wasn’t Artemis. And a single Peter certainly didn’t equal a Luke. So, as with a lot of invaluable advice, Chiron’s made less sense than a silver dollar.</p><p>At least I understood Chiron’s other piece of sage advice about friends. It was important to go questing with people with experience and people who you could trust. Thus, it was clear as crystal what needed to happen.</p><p>Chiron had literally told me that he wanted me to add Peter to the quest without telling me to do it, by saying stuff like Peter would probably be a great hero one day and that great heroes like me and Peter needed to go on quests. So, that meant I needed to kick Grover out of our group. After Bianca, who I couldn’t get rid of, Grover was the weakest link.</p><p>It was such a relief.</p><p>Peter would be a lot more useful than Grover. Peter actually spent his time training and he wasn’t always messing up, pretending to understand emotions, or getting himself captured and forcing his friends to risk life and limb to save him.[10] Plus, between me, Nico, and Peter, we’d have a kid from each of the Big Three on this quest.[11]</p><p>Together we would be worth a bazillion Biancas.</p><p>I smiled. “Me and my friends are going to save a goddess,” I told the sea-cow.</p><p>“Mooo?”</p><p>“I know! I’m full of beans just thinking about it,” I said, excitedly. “We’re going to have the bestest time ever![12] I can’t wait to tell Peter the good news.”</p><p>I patted the cutie pie and said, “I’ll see you later, Oliver. I’ve got to go.”</p><p>Oliver seemed to understand because he mooed a goodbye as I ran towards camp. I had the biggest smile on my face. It was finally time to get rid of Grover.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] This must have happened ‘off screen’. We didn’t hear a word from Andi or Mr. D. during that meeting but Peter was understandably pretty distracted.</p><p>[2] A common swift is a type of bird. It can fly faster than 68 mph or 110 km/h.</p><p>[3] One kilosecond is 1000 seconds or 16 minutes and 40 seconds.</p><p>[4] How many Peters does it take to make a Castellan called Luke? The world may never know.</p><p>But seriously, don’t try to quantify the value of your friends in terms of Biancas, Peters, or any other measurement.</p><p>[5] In the Sea of Monsters fic, when Thalia had complained about Andi getting yet another quest, Chiron had told Thalia that Andi was special and destined for greatness and thus she deserved and required more quests than Thalia. After that, Thalia had challenged Andi to a duel for the quest which Thalia predictably lost.</p><p>[6] And so, Andi finally admits it. Grover is really Luke’s best friend (after Annabeth) and that is why Andi keeps the satyr around. Lord knows it’s not because Andi likes him.</p><p>[7] Mars is bright tonight.</p><p>[8] Chiron is so wise and knowing that he even moves sagely…I guess?</p><p>[9] Oliver aka Bessie showed up in the Sea of Monsters fic. He saved Andi and Nico from the sirens.</p><p>[10] Grover did mess up a lot in the Lightning Thief fic. Most notably: He almost got Andi killed before she got to camp. He told Andi to trust Aphrodite and Annabeth. He cockblocked Andi multiple times as she tried to romance Luke. He also had to be dragged out of the Lotus Hotel and then he wanted to kick Nico and Bianca out of the group because they smelled like death. And finally, he was held hostage by Aphrodite during the big confrontation at the end. As for the kidnapping, she’s talking about Sea of Monsters though the hostage situation from Lightning Thief could also work. The middle accusation is trickier. It might just be untrue, although it could also be a reference to the fact that if Grover could sense emotions, he should have picked up on Andi’s dislike of him a long time ago. However, despite their empathy link, Grover hasn’t noticed a thing.</p><p>[11] I suspect she intentionally forgot Bianca.</p><p>[12] Considering what happened last quest, Andi’s optimism might seem out of place. Personally, I think she’s just trying to psych herself up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 15: I’ll Be Home For Christmas?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, just a heads up for those who care, there's a lot of swearing in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 15: I’ll Be Home For Christmas?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>(Peter)</strong>
</p>
<p>I held up a drachma coin and looked into the water of my cabin’s fish head fountain. It had taken me awhile to calm down after the meeting from hell and then I had to convince myself to pick this damn coin up out of the fountain.</p>
<p>I knew what I was supposed to do, plot wise, but more than that, I knew I had to do this for myself. I needed to know, even though all I wanted to do was end this fucking day.</p>
<p>I reminded myself that no matter what happened next, I’d be able to sleep after. With that mildly encouraging thought, I jerked my arm forward and tossed the coin in. Quickly before I lost my nerve, I made a short prayer to Iris and then I said the magic words:</p>
<p>“Show me Mom in Queens, New York City, my world.”</p>
<p>The mist around the falling water shimmered. I held my breath as an image began to form which meant I was holding my breath for a long ass time. It seemed to take forever for the image to come into focus. But that made sense, didn’t it? The message was crossing dimensions or whatever.</p>
<p>I watched anxiously as the scene slowly appeared in front of me. I saw a polished wood floor, claustrophobic shelves piled high with more kitchen appliances, pillows, and random knickknacks than you could ever want. And a woman.</p>
<p>She had her back to me and was crouching by one of the slightly less packed shelves trying to fit even more stuff onto it. Still, even from this angle, I could tell that she was short, had messy dark hair, and was wearing a familiar blue polo shirt.</p>
<p>“Mom?”</p>
<p>The woman’s head jerked up and she turned around.</p>
<p>Fuck yes!</p>
<p>It was her. It was really her. My mom, not Sally Jackson, was wearing her Bed, Bath, and Beyond shirt, looking half-asleep because she’d taken too many night-shifts this week because of course she had.</p>
<p>Mom rubbed her eyes and mumbled, “I must be falling asleep.” Then she turned away from me.</p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<p>“Mom? Mom! Turn around. It’s me, Peter,” I said and I knew I sounded desperate. I <em>was </em>desperate.</p>
<p>Seeing her there after so long was like being hit with a fucking train. I hadn’t seen or talked to my mom in months. I hadn’t really believed I would get to see her tonight either, but now that she was in front of me, I had to talk to her. I just had to.</p>
<p>But instead of acknowledging me, my mom stood up and reached into her pocket.</p>
<p>“Goddamn it, Mom. I know you can hear me!” I shouted. “Turn! Around!”</p>
<p>Mom did turn around. With her phone to her ear, she said in an abstracted voice, “Hello? Peter, is that you?”</p>
<p>I blinked. Why was she talking to the phone when she could just…</p>
<p>Oh!</p>
<p>It had to be the mist. I guess the Iris message was making it? Since Sally Jackson had clear sight, I had forgotten about the mist for a second, but it was probably stopping my mom from seeing me and now it was trying to explain my disembodied voice.</p>
<p>“Hello?” she asked again. She sounded confused and her eyes seemed oddly unfocused.</p>
<p>I swallowed. My earlier panic was gone, but for some reason, my voice shook as I said, “Hey, Mom.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Her expression cleared and she looked like herself again. Thank god. “Peter! It really is you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s me.” And it was really her. Mom.</p>
<p>I had tried calling my mom on the phone several times since I had come here, but I kept getting the robot message about her number being disconnected or no longer in service. I had had no luck when I tried the house phone or when I emailed her. And when I called Bed, Bath, and Beyond, the number had worked, but it was this world’s Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They predictably and rather rudely informed me that Sarah Johnson did not work at their establishment.</p>
<p>It was at that point that I had decided that I wasn’t going to be able to reach my mom from this world. But then I got the cabin fountain a few days ago and remembered that Iris messages were a thing. They were magic, so I had half-hoped that an Iris message might be able to reach across the dimensions and connect with my mom in the real world. I knew it was a long shot and until now, I had been preparing myself to be disappointed.</p>
<p>Thank god I was wrong.</p>
<p>“How are you?” Mom asked. “How’s boarding school?”</p>
<p>“Boarding school?” I repeated.</p>
<p>“Oh right, they don’t like us to call it that. How’s your experiential home?”</p>
<p>My what?</p>
<p>“Is everything okay?” she pressed, “Your teachers, or no, your méntores, keep assuring me that you’re doing well now and have made friends, but are you happy?”</p>
<p>“Uh…yeah?” I was so confused. This wasn’t just a bit of mist. This was crazy. What the hell was she talking about? Had she not even realized I was gone?</p>
<p>Then she started crying, “It’s so good to hear your voice. You haven’t called in years.”</p>
<p>I paled.</p>
<p>Years?</p>
<p>Fuck.</p>
<p>Fuck!</p>
<p>This was bad. This was real bad.</p>
<p>“Peter? Sea slug? You still there?”</p>
<p>I nodded and I had to force out the words, “Yeah. I’m here.”</p>
<p>But <em>she </em>wasn’t, not really, because this woman I was talking to wasn’t my mom, at least not my real mom.</p>
<p>God damn it.</p>
<p>Of course, the Iris message hadn’t understood me. Of course, this wasn’t my real mom. Even though she looked like my mom and acted like my mom and she had called me by that embarrassing pet name and she was crying and…</p>
<p>Fucking God damn…Fuck!</p>
<p>The woman who looked like my mom had a watery smile on her face. “I hope that this means you’d be willing to visit sometime soon.”</p>
<p>A visit?</p>
<p>“Maybe Christmas?” she added hopefully.</p>
<p>I said nothing.</p>
<p>I didn’t want a goddamn visit. I wanted to go home. I wanted to talk to my real mom, not this alternative version who thought I hadn’t called her in years.</p>
<p>After a bit, the woman asked, “What do you think, Peter? Would Christmas be okay or are you too busy with school or, I mean, your new home?”</p>
<p>“No. Christmas. Sounds good,” I managed to say. Even though it was anything but good. It was a fucking nightmare.</p>
<p>“Alright. I’ll let Michael know. This will be great. Peter…I…” She shook her head. “You just keep studying hard, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>She looked past me and her eyes widened, “Shit. I mean, shoot. Peter, my manager’s coming, so I have to go, sea slug. Love you. Call me again soon, alright?”</p>
<p>“I—”</p>
<p>An angry voice called out from off screen. “Sarah! What did I say about personal calls during work hours!”</p>
<p>Before I could say anything else, the woman hung up and somehow that stopped the Iris message too. The vision shimmered and faded.</p>
<p>I stared at the fountain water.</p>
<p>First, the Big House and now this? This was fucked up.</p>
<p>I missed my mom. I missed her more than I had ever missed anything in my entire life and I didn’t appreciate being fucked with like this.</p>
<p>I hadn’t liked the fact I couldn’t reach my mom before, but it had at least made sense. Most phones don’t have inter-dimensional calling and I hadn’t thought I would reach a version of my mom from this world either.</p>
<p>Yes, this fanfic did take place in the US, but it was a fictional world with its own cast of characters for fuck’s sake. I knew that the world would have the same important people in it, like the president or Bill Gates, but I hadn’t expected it to include relative nobodies like my friends, or my mom. But my mom <em>was</em> here or at least a woman, who was called Sarah, looked like my mom, acted like my mom, worked at the Queens Bed, Bath and Beyond and was married to my step-father, was here.</p>
<p>It was fucked up and confusing. What was I supposed to make of this? It threw off everything I thought I knew about this world.</p>
<p>Up until now I had thought that this was an isekai type situation. I was in another world. I was temporarily here until the plot finished like Narnia, Familiar of Zero, or countless fanfics. But now…I didn’t know what the fuck was going on.</p>
<p>What exactly had happened to me before I awoke in Camp Half-Blood? Why was I here? Why did this world have a version of my mom in it? Did that mean there was another me in this world as well? Or was it like the Wizard of Oz movie? Was I actually just asleep somehow dreaming all this like in a coma? But why would I dream that scene in the Big House? Or Miss Sunshine? Or any of it?</p>
<p>What if it wasn’t a dream and I was just dead? What if this was hell? What if…</p>
<p>What if I never got to go home?[1]</p>
<p>“Argh!” I shouted and punched the stone fish.</p>
<p>It was a mistake. It hurt like hell.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” I yelled, cradling my hand.</p>
<p>I was crying now.</p>
<p>“God Fucking Damn it.”</p>
<p>“You should really stop swearing,” an annoying voice said from the doorway.</p>
<p>“And you should learn how to fucking knock!” I snapped. Even before I turned around, I knew who it was: Andromeda Fucking Sunshine. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked, now facing her. “Were you raised in a fucking barn?”</p>
<p>Instead of answering my question or sniffing with disapproval at my “language”, the Sue just looked concerned. Her perfect little Mary Sue eyebrows were all scrunched up. “Oh, Peter, you’re crying. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>I laughed, wiping some tears off my face. Was I okay? “No, I’m not fucking okay,” I shouted at her. “Go the fuck away. I’m not—Get away from me!”</p>
<p>I backed up and bumped against the fountain as the Mary Sue quickly came forward with her arms outstretched. Before I could stop her, she wrapped me up in a hug.</p>
<p>I tried to pull away, but Miss Sunshine squeezed me tight and smashed my face against her boobs, saying, “I’m so sorry Peter. I had no idea that underneath your tough and ill-mannered exterior was a sad and sensitive soul, but it’ll be okay, Peter. You’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>I screamed, but the sound was swallowed up into the void that was the Mary Sue’s cleavage.</p>
<p>“Shush. There now. Rest easy on my bosoms,” she cooed softly, petting my hair as I struggled against her. “I’m about to turn that frown upside down.”</p>
<p>That might have made me laugh again if I wasn’t so god damn angry and if, you know, I wasn’t being fucking crushed against the Mary Sue’s big boobs!</p>
<p>Instead, I continued to fight against her herculean strength and regretted all my life choices, while she murmured softly, “I talked with Grover and he has graciously volunteered to give up his spot so that you can join the quest. Isn’t that just the peachiest? I know that quests can be dangerous, but I’ll be right there with you. And I promised a quest will be just the thing to heal what ails you. It’ll cheer you right up and increase your self-worth. Plus, we’ll become even closer friends and you’ll bond with other people too. It’ll be the funest, most fulfilling, most spinetinglingly thrilling thing ever and that’s the gospel truth, Peter. I swear it upon all the gods of this earth, you won’t regret coming. So, you are coming, right? You’re going to come with me on the quest and help me find Artemis and save the day, right? Right~?”</p>
<p>Why was she even asking?</p>
<p>Of course, I was coming.</p>
<p>How could I not when Andi sounded so sure? It would be an honor to go with her on this quest. I wouldn’t have to worry about a thing with her around. She would protect me and be a better hero than Percy Jackson had ever been because Andi was a beautiful, well-rounded, interesting, attractive, inspiring, heroic, amazing, generous, cheerful, kind, unique, strong, special, sweet, and perfectly perfect angel of a person who smelled like heaven and was my bestest friend in the whole wide world.</p>
<p>I blinked.</p>
<p>What the fuck?</p>
<p>What the FUCK????</p>
<p>No!</p>
<p>NO!</p>
<p>With great shove, I pushed the Mary Sue away.</p>
<p>She stumbled back.</p>
<p>I stood up and glowered at her shocked expression.</p>
<p>What the actual fuck had I just been thinking?[2]</p>
<p>After a couple days of being civil to her, I was already succumbing to her sueiness and this fanfic’s fucked up rules. Well, I wasn’t fucking having it.</p>
<p>Today, I had had the three most fucked up conversations I had ever had in my life and it was all because of this fucking Mary Sue. Without her and her fucking fic, I’d be home with my real mom. Save that, I’d at least have Percy.</p>
<p>Because of her, I was stuck here in this fucking shithole of a story.</p>
<p>“Peter?” She reached out to me.</p>
<p>I slapped her hand away. “Don’t you fucking touch me,” I snarled. I was not going to be fucking bewitched by this Mary Sue again.</p>
<p>The Sue recoiled, and said in a small tinny voice, “But why? I thought we were friends. And friends—”</p>
<p>“We’re not fucking friends!” I snapped. “We will <em>never</em> be friends!”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“And I don’t want to go on the fucking quest with you. So, get the fuck out. <em>Now</em>!”</p>
<p>The Mary Sue didn’t move. She stared at me, seeming to not understand my words.</p>
<p>“I said: LEAVE!” I bellowed at her. “How many times do I have to fucking tell you to leave me the fuck alone, you crazy bitch. FUCK. OFF.”</p>
<p>The Mary Sue began to cry.</p>
<p>I didn’t fucking care.</p>
<p>When she turned away and ran out of the room crying her stupid ass Hollywood tears, I made sure to slam the cabin door shut behind her.</p>
<p>Then I stood there and glowered at the close door.</p>
<p>The Sue was gone, but not really, because she was still alive and well.</p>
<p>So, I was still fucked. Stuck in this shit world. And forced to go with the Mary Sue on a deadly fucked-up fanfic adventure, just so I could see my real mom again.</p>
<p>God Fucking Damn it.</p>
<p>I just wanted to go home.</p><hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p>
<p>[1] Although isekai was a somewhat familiar concept back in the old days of the early 2010s, I don’t think “isekai death by truck-kun” was a widely accepted idea when this fic came out. Hence why him being dead was not the first thing that came to Peter’s mind as an explanation for his predicament.</p>
<p>[2] What indeed? More on this later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 16: Nico Becomes One With The Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 16: Nico Becomes One With The Darkness</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>(Andi)</strong>
</p><p>I ran out of Peter Johnson’s cabin crying tears and feeling furious with him and myself. How could I be such a dumb-dumb?</p><p>I actually thought that I was finally breaking through Peter’s defenses and getting to know the real Peter Johnson and he rejected me. Again!</p><p>And it wasn’t an invite to eat dinner together that he had rejected. Oh no! Peter had said no to a quest.</p><p><em>A</em>!</p><p><em>Quest</em>!</p><p>Who didn’t like quests? People at camp literally killed for them. Thalia had tried to kill me for one once.[1] It was the highest honor to get a quest and the second highest honor to be invited to join one. Everyone wanted a piece of the Jonny Quest Pie.[2]</p><p>Everyone except, Peter. Apparently. <em>He</em> was the dumb-dumb. Why had he acted like I had suggested we go slaughter baby unicorns and drink their delicious life-giving rainbow blood?[3] Why had he pushed me, slapped me, called me names, and worst of all, why had he said we weren’t friends and that we never would be?</p><p>It didn’t make any sense. Didn’t he know how hard I was trying to be not just a friend, but his bestest friend? Didn’t he realize how nice, polite, helpful, and amazing I was? Didn’t he understand how I had supported him in every way I knew how?</p><p>I had ignored his dirty mouth, made Grover keep an eye on him, and ignored how he kept pushing me away. I invited him to dinner almost every night. I searched for him when everyone else thought he was dead. I kept his secrets and made shady deals with him and today I had even hugged him and let him rest his head on my perfect pillow-soft bosoms![4]</p><p>Peter Johnson needed me. Anyone could see it, but instead of being thankful for all my friendly love and much needed help. He just acted like the meanest girl ever![5]</p><p>It wasn’t fair and I couldn’t bare it.</p><p>I ran into my cabin and I was ready to flop on the bed and have a good cry when I saw Nico sitting on my bed.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. “Peter being an idiot again?” [6]</p><p>I wiped away some of my tears and nodded.</p><p>Nico patted the bed.</p><p>I took his invitation and sat down next to him. Then I said, angrily, “It’s not fair Nico! He is so couthy with Grover and Percy and practically everyone else.[7] He even listened to you talk about Mythomagic strategy all dinner long last night. And yet with me, the one person who has his best interest at heart, he’s cold, distant, and unavailable.” I stomped my foot. “Why?”</p><p>Nico’s eyes looked sad and soulful as he murmured, “I don’t know, Andi. Maybe he’s just jealous of you. Plenty of girls are.”</p><p>“Yeah but…” I sniffled and Nico gave me a hug. Unlike <em>some people</em>, Nico liked hugging me and enjoyed the honor being able to give and receive hugs from my person. And I needed this hug.</p><p>I leaned into it. It felt good after Peter’s rejection, like really good. Maybe too good?</p><p>Ever since this summer, Nico had become quieter, dark, and mysterious and sometimes he seemed more sagely than even Chiron. And Nico’s eyes were so soulful and alluring. They spoke of gentle understanding, a tortured soul, and other things, but I knew I shouldn’t be noticing those things about Nico.[8]</p><p>He was Nico. Nico, not Luke. No one could replace Luke in my heart. He was the love of my life. And I missed him more than Kansas.[9] So, it didn’t matter how soulful Nico’s eyes were. I knew that underneath those eyes were the eyes of that kid I rescued from the Lotus Hotel.[10]</p><p>I closed my eyes and made myself remember that kid, and not the soulful-eyed, soft-spoken, secretive siren I was embracing. Nico was so different back then, merrier, louder, full of energy. I had been all those things too, well except louder. I was the same volume then as I was now. But I had been merrier than a Christmas tree back then.</p><p>How could I not be?</p><p>Luke had been around. I was always happy when Luke was around. And we’d had so much fun at the Lotus Hotel. Back then things had been dandier than a posh swell. Back then I could hug Nico without giving myself a lecture.</p><p>Back then…before Luke was lost, before Bianca abandoned Nico, before I met Peter, my life had been peaches and cherries.</p><p>Now…</p><p>I hugged Nico tightly and said, “Life has been completely bananas recently, so I’m really glad we’re still friends.”</p><p>“Me too,” he whispered, “I’m really going to miss this.”</p><p>“So, will I—Wait. What? Why would I miss this when you’re right here?”</p><p>There was a heavy quiet in the air.</p><p>I pulled away. “Nico, what’s happened?”</p><p>Nico gave me a small smile as he murmured, “Nothing terrible, I suppose. It’s just my father contacted me.[11] He is ordering me and Bianca to come home tonight and he didn’t say how long we were to stay, so…”</p><p>Nico couldn’t go on the quest.</p><p>I looked at him enviously. I wished Daddy would order me to come home indefinitely. As close as he and I were, I had never felt like I could accept his many invitations to stay with him. I wanted to sometimes, but I just always felt like my place was at camp which is where I felt Nico belonged too. I didn’t want him to leave me. With Luke gone and Peter being the biggest weirdo ever, I felt like Nico was my only friend in the world and the idea of him leaving me hurt me.[12]</p><p>I began to cry.</p><p>Nico buried his head in my chest and hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry, Andi,” he whispered. “I know you wanted to go on this quest together. Maybe I could ignore my father and go with you anyway? How does that sound? You just have to say the word and I’ll do it.”</p><p>It sounded great. Nico was a true friend, but I couldn’t ask him to stay. He had just smiled when he talked about visiting his dad. Nico rarely smiled anymore. Most of the time he smirked if he was going to show any joy at all which meant he must be pretty jazzed about this visit.</p><p>So, I wiped away my tears and said unsteadily, “No, Nico, you should go. I’ll be fine. Really. And I wouldn’t want you to miss this for a silly quest. It’s not every day that your dad asks for a visit and it’ll be good for you to fraternize with him.”</p><p>“Yeah, I think it will be good for me and Bianca too, but I don’t want to leave you behind with Kelp boy and the nimrods.” [13]</p><p>I stroked Nico’s hair and repeated, “I’ll be fine.” I was now even more sure. It didn’t matter that I would miss Nico like the dickens or that I was going to be stuck with Zoë and probably Grover on the quest. I couldn’t let Nico miss this chance to get to know his dad and make up with his sister. I knew Nico missed her friendship a lot, almost as much as I missed Luke.[14] And I knew what Luke would say: Friends made sacrifices for each other.[15]</p><p>“But—” Nico protested again, quietly. He was worried about me. Nico believed in making sacrifices too.</p><p>I put on a smile, and said in a strong voice, “No more buts, mister. All I need you to do is make an effort to have oodles of fun with your dad and sister and promise me that you’ll come back and tell me all about your underworldly adventures.”</p><p>Nico looked up at me. His chin was in my bosoms.</p><p>I made sure to keep my smile steady as his soulful eyes searched mine.</p><p>Finally, he murmured, “Alright, I will. I promise I will. When I come back, you can tell me about your adventures too.”</p><p>“Yeah,” I said, bravely, “that sounds swell.”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>We looked at each other and suddenly I was crying. He was crying. We were all crying and there were tears everywhere. I clung to Nico and pressed him into my bosoms.</p><p>Nico softly wailed, “I’m going to miss you, Andi.”</p><p>“Me too, Nico. Me too.”</p><p>As Nico got my bosoms all wet with his hot tears, I suddenly felt like he really was that old Nico again, the boy from the Lotus Hotel with the normal eyes who was like the little brother I never had.</p><p>I let Nico cry his soulful eyeholes out. I let myself cry too, not bothering to count the tears, as we waited for death to claim him.</p><p>Even after the witching hour came and Nico was consumed by darkness, I was still crying.[16]</p><p>Only now, I was alone.</p><hr/><p>Daybreak came too soon. I didn’t get a lot of shut eye last night and for some reason, Grover roused me from my slumber, acting clammy.[17] His mood got even peachier when I told him I wasn’t sending him to Coventry and when I revealed that it would just be me, him, and Zoë going on the quest, Grover was happier than a tickled pink sandboy named Larry jumping over the moon and landing on Cloud 9.[18]</p><p>“It’s a shame about Bianca,” Grover lied cheerfully as we stood in front of the camp, “but don’t worry about Nico and Peter.[19] Three is the best number for a quest anyway and I will keep you company as your loyal—” Grover paused and peered past me, “Hey! Isn’t that Bianca over there?”</p><p>I whirled around and saw that he was correct. Bianca and Zoë were sauntering towards us.</p><p>“You’re supposed to be in the underworld with Nico and your dad,” I said, remindingly to Bianca. She could be pretty forgetful.[20]</p><p>Both of the Hunters loured at me.</p><p>Then Bianca exclaimed snottily, “I belong to Artemis now, Ann-dye. No man holds sway over me, not even Lord Hades.” Then she lifted her nose and chin up in the air and she and Zoë flounced past us.</p><p>“So cool,” Grover breathed, leering idiotically as he began to stalk after them.</p><p>I sighed. I was plumb tired and didn’t have the energy to correct Bianca or explain to Grover why her words weren’t cool.</p><p>They were almost tropical. Nico would be as sick as a parrot about her not going home with him. I had been hoping they would kiss and make up, but now…</p><p>Poor unfortunate Nico.[21]</p><p>“Andromeda,” Zoë called back to me. “Come hither. We do not have all morning.”</p><p>I blinked. Somehow, everyone was in the van, but me.</p><p>“Come on, Andi!” Grover waved at me from inside the van. “I saved you a seat next to me.”</p><p>“Yeah, Ann-dye,” Bianca shouted, “Stop sleeping on the job!”</p><p>I sighed again. Poor unfortunate Nico. Poor unfortunate <em>me</em>!</p><p>I was in a very brown study as I slowly made my way to the van, chewing over whether it would be too dilatory to duress some other charile into sewing up this madcap peregrination.[22][23]</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Footnotes</strong>
</p><p>[1] Again, this is referring to Thalia challenging Andi for her quest in the Sea of Monsters fic.</p><p>[2] Uh…I guess she means the show? Having never watched Jonny Quest I’m unsure what a blond adventurer boy has to do with pie, but I can’t think of any other explanation for this statement.</p><p>[3] I think this is the fourth HP reference in this fic so far.</p><p>[4] There is a surprisingly short list of people who Andi is willing to hug and an even shorter list of people she lets rest on her…bosoms. She mentioned this in the Sea of Monsters fic while she hugged and comforted Nico after his sister joined the hunters. I think Andi’s reluctance has something to do with her vague tragic backstory. More on this later.</p><p>[5] With the exception of Mr. D., mean boys really haven’t existed in Andi’s life. And you could argue Mr. D. is a mean <em>man </em>and we all know there is a big different between a boy and a MAN.</p><p>[6] This is just an observation, but I love Nico in this fic series. He is probably my favorite character in the Sea of Monsters fic. He’s a total sweetheart there and in the Lightning Thief fic. And “dark” Nico is lots of fun too. In this moment in particular, he is just so sassy.</p><p>[7] As opposed to being <em>un</em>-couthy?</p><p>[8] Being attracted to someone who you shouldn’t be? Well, Andi<em> is </em>Zeus’s daughter after all. And considering all them underage Nico X Percy fics, I don’t really blame Andi for her attraction.</p><p>[9] I assume she’s referencing Dorothy missing Kansas in Wizard of Oz.</p><p>[10] This happened in the Lightning Thief fic.</p><p>[11] Nico and Bianca both met Hades in the Lightning Thief fic. It was a very touching scene. Fic Hades has a major soft spot for his kids.</p><p>[12] I notice Grover is not even included here.</p><p>[13] Did you know that nimrod is another word for hunter? And here I thought it just meant stupid. The more you know~</p><p>[14] From what I know of Bianca’s and Nico’s relationship, this is disturbingly accurate.</p><p>[15] This was something Luke said a lot in the Lightning Thief fic.</p><p>[16] Bye Nico… ;-;</p><p>[17] As in: happy as a clam? Somehow sweaty doesn’t seem like a mood. Though with fic Grover, who knows?</p><p>[18] I assume it’s her bad mood, but Andi is even more thesaurus-y than usual in this chapter and especially in this section.</p><p>[19] Yeah, I don’t think Grover is lying.</p><p>[20] Bianca is not really forgetful. Andi thinks she is because Andi hasn’t realized that Bianca mispronounces Andi’s name on purpose.</p><p>[21] So sad, so true.</p><p>[22] Translation (Because I had to look this up): Andi is in deep thought as she walks to the van, wondering if it’s too late to make some other fool complete this crazy quest.</p><p>[23] This chapter broke the footnote record.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First off, I didn't want to say anything last chapter because I thought it might ruin the mood. But Chapter 15 is where this fic changed from a casual read to an obsession. The theme of missing home is rarely explored in modern isekai stories and I really loved it here. That, the craziness in chapter 13, and Andi's powers of persuasion made this a must finish for me.</p><p>But enough gushing, the stage is set for us to finally leave Camp Half-Blood and start questing for Artemis, Annabeth, and the mysterious New Moon. It's all very exciting which means it is the perfect time for me to go on a break. (Bianca would be proud.)</p><p><em>Nani?!?</em> You may be saying.</p><p>Well, I do more than just gamma read and publish this story. Shocking I know. </p><p>I'm also actually writing (not just editing but actually writing) a Aladdin Crossover with an infamous paranormal romance called Tiger's Curse. The fic is called Rajah's Curse. In my story: Jafar isn't an idiot, Prince Ali isn't a good guy, Rajah isn't just a tiger and nothing is as it seems.<br/>
</p><p>~~~Jazz Hands~~~</p><p>My version of Agrabah is a magical place where Princess JasmineXWeretiger Prince is a ship that you actually believe in. (This being AO3 you also get treated to my hot takes on the Aladdin Canon which is an AO3 exclusive.) Anyway, I will be over in RC land for the next few months working on a new arc. </p><p>For those of you who are disappointed about me taking a break from TSC, I say:</p><p>
  <strong>Leave a comment!</strong>
</p><p>I would love to here from you! What are your thoughts on New Moon or all the crazy new plot things that just happened? </p><p>I am incredibly thankful for the comments I have, but I would love even more! (Preferably the nice kind that aren't just like: UPDATE!!!)</p><p>On that note, I'll see y'all in a few months!</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>- Annbe11</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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